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Police seize record haul of cars from illegal drivers
David Williams, Motoring Correspondent16 Jun 2009
A record number of illegal drivers in London have had their cars seized by police, figures show.
Almost 32,000 vehicles of motorists found driving without insurance or a valid licence were impounded in the year to April - more than double the 14,230 seized in 2007.
Today road safety experts said this was a small proportion of the illegal drivers in the capital.
Figures from the Mayor's office show that as recently as 2004 the Met did not impound any vehicles for driving without insurance or a licence.
By 2005 the number rose to 643 and by 2006 to 5,886 as police started using Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems.
The number seized last year was 31,934. The increases came after police Safer Neighbourhood Teams were given power to seize illegal vehicles.
Borough police made 13,153 of the seizures in 2008/09, and £3million of the money made - from fines and unclaimed car auctions - is paying for police on buses and car pounds.
Police claim accident costs run up by illegal drivers mean other motorists pay £30 in higher insurance premiums each year, while cyclists and pedestrians are often victims of hit-and-runs linked to illegal motorists.
Reader views (10)
Firstly, Seizing cars of uninsured vehicles, is probably the best way of getting them off the roads. The police will only seize the vehicle when they have proved beyond doubt the vehicle is uninsured. I know this as its happened to me, I was unaware that my insurance cover had ended 2 days before I was stopped, the police did everything they could to prove there was no cover. What are people expecting the authorities to do, wait till after the court case? in the meantime the vehicle is still on the road. SECONDLY, there's no way in hell that putting a levy on fuel duty in lieu of insurance would work. One idea would be for people to "re register" their cars annually, in a similar way to taxing your car, you would have to prove you're insured, and also have an insurance disc issued by dvla which you then display in your windscreen. It wont be fool proof, but people who want your parking space will be happy to report your car to the police.
Overall as painful as it is, police seizing uninsured vehicles is really the only viable solution. I fully agree with it.
- Matt D, stroud england, 09/02/2010 18:41
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Think it through, Adam - so a 17 year old who has just passed his test can buy a 3.2 litre Jaguar for less than £500 (check Autotrader) and effectively be paying the same insurance as someone in a 1.2 litre hatchback who's been driving for 20 years on an unblemished record? It would be mayhem!
- Paul, London, 09/02/2010 17:41
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Adam, you are of course assuming that these cars are road worthy, that the drivers have licenses, that the cars are taxed, that everyone drives identical cars in the same area and that the drivers are sufficiently honest that they wouldn't siphon petrol from other peoples cars (yes, it happened to me, someone cut my fuel line during the last petrol protest). Also, how would no claims bonuses work?
Of course if the Met hadn't halved the number of traffic police in the last 10 years a lot of these cars may well have already been off the road.
- Bob, Cheam, 09/02/2010 17:41
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David Williams,
The Motor Insurance Database which is maintained by the MIB and accessed by the Police ANPR system has very poor quality control and is responsible for about 18 wrongful car seizures per month in the UK (according to the latest responses to Freedom of Information requests).
See www.xchange.co.uk/vodot for more information.
The current system of summary justice by the roadside is violating our right to be considered innocent until proven guilty. It is wrong. It is offensive and should be changed immediately.
The Government have deliberately ignored this issue and are guilty of gross negligence. Sooner or later, by the law of averages, it will cause a fatality to an innocent driver. Already a heavily-pregnant mother-to-be has suffered trauma through police making a wrongful seizure - fortunately the baby was OK but the shock to the poor woman could have easily produced a tragic outcome.
Technology is great, it's just stupid politicians who like to abuse it that cause the problem.
By the way, we've had no response to our FOI request made to the Metropolitan Police on 11/02/09 - that is also breaking the regulations on FOI. Not the fault of the Met. though - again it's the stupid politicians who make laws and then don't care about whether they are workable in the real world - in this case the Met. just don't have the manpower to meet the regs.
- Vodot, Manchester, 09/02/2010 17:41
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There is a simple way to end the scourge of uninsured motorists. Everybody is automatically covered with third party liability via a levy added to the fuel duty. If you want to insure your vehicle further then you can do at your own expense.
- Adam, Harrow, UK, 09/02/2010 17:41
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Can anyone tell me where all the money the police are getting from these seized cars is going. They are not all being crushed.
There is already an enquiry regarding the misuse of credit cards with the Met Police will we need to add this to the list.
- Mr S.Port, London, 09/02/2010 17:41
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Adam, Harrow, UK We could also add new tyres, servicing, oil changes, brake pads and cam belts, why stick with just insurance? lol
Looking at the junk some people drive I wish the Police would crush more old bangers, danger to themseleves, other road users and the public.
- Gary, brentwood, 09/02/2010 17:41
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What? You want the government in the insurance business? Kinda leaves the rest of the insurance industry in the shade when the taxpayers are underwriting the scheme. I thought the general consensus was to get away from having the government's finger in every pie.
- Rogan, Irving, 09/02/2010 17:41
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Adam, Harrow, UK
That's not a bad idea !!
- Asw, HK, 09/02/2010 17:41
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Sorry Adam car insurance is far more complicated than your simple scheme is capable of dealing with.
Many people who drive with no insurance do not even register their vehicles and of course many of them don't have a license so any form of insurance would be null and void.
- Mike M, Bedford England, 09/02/2010 17:41
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