Worst areas for uninsured driving revealed

The UK’s worst hotspots for uninsured driving have been identified, as a hit-and-run survivor recounted being “left for dead” with life-changing injuries.

According to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), someone in the UK is struck by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver every 20 minutes, with more than 26,000 such claims made annually. Each day, at least one victim is so severely injured that they will require lifelong care, and every week an uninsured driver is responsible for a fatality.

New analysis by the MIB, the non-profit body that compensates people harmed by uninsured or untraced motorists, shows Thurrock in Essex is the UK’s worst area for uninsured driving. Four Birmingham postcodes also appear in the top 15, alongside areas in Peterborough, Manchester, Belfast and Havering, all of which record a high number of defendants per 1,000 residents.

Top 15 postal districts for uninsured driving

1. Thurrock (RM19)

2. Birmingham (B25)

3. Birmingham (B18)

4. Peterborough (PE1)

5. Sandwell (B66)

6. Havering (RM1)

7. Birmingham (B21)

8. Manchester (M18)

9. Birmingham (B35)

10. Belfast (BT17)

11. Epping Forest (IG7)

12. Belfast (BT13)

13. Buckinghamshire (HP18)

14. Bradford (BD7)

15. Luton (LU1)

One victim, 55-year-old cyclist Cahal O’Reilly, suffered catastrophic injuries when he was hit at high speed near Holyhead, Wales, in September 2021. Police believe the uninsured driver, who fled the scene, was travelling at around 70mph. O’Reilly was propelled onto the windscreen and thrown roughly 20 metres before landing at the roadside.

Uninsured driving costs the UK an estimated £1bn each year in compensation, emergency response, medical treatment and lost productivity. Police seize an uninsured vehicle every four minutes, with nearly 120,000 taken off the road so far this year.

The MIB has now launched a national week-long road safety operation with police forces, combining enforcement in high-risk areas with a public awareness campaign urging motorists to ensure they hold valid cover.

“Our goal is to eliminate uninsured driving,” said Martin Saunders, the MIB’s head of enforcement. “We are intensifying our joint work with police to remove dangerous vehicles, while also helping law-abiding motorists understand the insurance they need.”