Tens of thousands of uninsured vehicles seized in the West Midlands

Tens of thousands of vehicles without insurance have been seized by West Midlands Police since 2018 for not having insurance, new figures reveal.

The statistics come as a leading motoring body tells drivers "don't take the risk" by dodging car insurance before hitting the road.

Figures obtained by the AA drivers' association show 44,056 uninsured cars have been seized by West Midlands Police since the start of 2018 – including at least 5,496 so far this year, and more than almost anywhere else in the UK.

Across the UK, more than half a million motors have been impounded for not having proper insurance over this timeframe.

In 2021, 9,226 vehicles were seized by police in the West Midlands – equating to 6.2 seizures for every 1,000 licensed vehicles in the area as of the end of 2021, one of the highest rates in the country.

Many forces now use automatic number plate recognition to check whether cars are road-legal, which can instantly tell officers whether cars have insurance and an up-to-date MOT.

Gus Park, managing director for AA Insurance Services, said: “Every driver is worried about being involved in a collision, but worse still is the other party being uninsured.

“Sadly, we know that when times are hard some people try to cut their costs, and one area people are tempted to chance it, is cutting out their motor insurance.

“However, these figures show that forces across the country are on the lookout and will take an uninsured car away.”

The figures cover every force across the four nations, with the exceptions of Kent and Cheshire, which did not provide data to the AA.

Only the Met Police, the largest force in the UK, confiscated more vehicles over this period – 62,900 – while West Yorkshire Police followed the West Midlands with 33,829.

Despite successive lockdowns, 2020 saw the most cars seized in the West Midlands and across the country – nearly 130,000 were taken off UK roads, including 10,872 in the area.

Mr Park said drivers should be wary of the penalties for not having insurance.

“Not only is there the chance of having your car seized, but the criminal and financial hardship is not worth the gamble,” he added.

Drivers caught without proper insurance can face a fine of £300 and six points on their license – with the potential for larger fines or even a driving ban if their case goes to court.

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