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Uninsured drivers killing more but face softer penalties



Deaths caused by uninsured drivers have risen by almost a third in six years while offenders have been facing softer penalties, it has been revealed. Average fines for driving without insurance have dropped by 17% since 1997, from £224 to £185, according to figures seen by The Times newspaper.

Meanwhile uninsured drivers are killing more people than ever before - four a week. The Government is attempting to crack down on reckless driving and uninsured drivers. Laws that came into force on Monday mean that motorists who cause death while driving uninsured, disqualified or unlicenced will merit a maximum of two years in prison.

MPs and road safety experts have said that the measures are too little and point to a new study which found that 208 people died in accidents caused by uninsured drivers in 2006, compared with 160 in 2000. This was the first year that accurate figures were available.

Accidents caused by uninsured drivers cost £500million a year in insurance claims and add around £30 each to the policies of insured drivers, according to experts. Only 263,000 uninsured drivers were convicted in magistrates' courts in 2006, compared with 255,000 in 1997, the new study found.

Mark Hunter, transport spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, said: 'It beggars belief that penalties for uninsured drivers have become more lenient on this Government's watch.Uninsured drivers are a dangerous and often fatal blight on our roads and responsible motorists are forking out for higher premiums to pay for their misadventures. It is ridiculous that, while you can be fined £1,000 for not buying a TV licence, uninsured drivers can cause thousands of pounds of damage and get away with pathetically small penalties.'

I cant belive there are idiots still driving with no insurance? Are these new computer systems not doing there job properly?