9m drivers on the road illegally

Random spot checks on almost 6,000 vehicles have shown that three in every ten drivers - around 9million of the 30million total - should not be on the road.

They are breaking at least one key law - such as driving an untaxed, uninsured, unregistered or unroadworthy vehicle without an MOT certificate.

The toll has more than doubled compared with a similar snapshot just two years ago.

The report by police and transport department officials - based on a one-day blitz in March - says the proportion of drivers on the road illegally has increased from 13.4 per cent in 2004 to 28.4 per cent this year.

It concludes the problems of unlicensed, uninsured, untaxed and unroadworthy vehicles 'still provide for serious concern'.

Twenty arrests were made as a result of the crackdown. Of the 5,793 vehicles checked, more than a quarter (28.4 per cent) were noncompliant with the law in at least one area.

Some 1.6 per cent were unlicensed; 1.9 per cent were not insured for the vehicle they were driving while road tax evasion was spotted in 2 per cent of checks.

Some 4.2 per cent did not have a current MOT and 6.1 per cent were incorrectly registered. About 0.2 per cent of the total were lost or stolen. In addition more than one in 20 cars (5.4 per cent) had illegal registration plates.

The report stresses the danger posed to other road users by illegal drivers goes far beyond 'having the correct documentation'.

It adds: "In respect of road safety it is the foundation stone that a driver has the skills and knowledge to be safely on the road, their vehicle is fit for purpose and that in the event of a crash it is the insurer who bears the direct financial loss rather than the community."

RAC Foundation spokesman Sheila Ranger said: "This report shows why we need more traffic police on our roads, rather than over-relying on speed cameras."

Last week, Norwich Union warned young drivers face a hike of up to 40 per cent on their insurance policies.

It blamed the appalling record of young male drivers who are often reckless and highly likely to cause an accident involving themselves, or other drivers.

Uninsured drivers are involved in about 7,000 crashes involving injury each year. Now police have been given powers to access a database of insurers and seize and crush uninsured vehicles.

But experts say fines for driving without insurance are so low - usually in the region of £150 - that many feel that it is cheaper to risk the small fine if prosecuted, than to pay anything from £400 to £2,000 to be covered.

One weapon being used against uncertified drivers are Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras, which allow an almost instantaneous check of police and DVLA records to discover if the vehicle is stolen or unlicensed.

The cameras are now also automatically linked to the Motor Insurers' Bureau to check insurance is in place. In future the plan is to link computerised MOT data to the system as well.