Police collaborate for M4 crackdown on uninsured drivers

Police forces from Wales have collaborated with their English counterparts in a new initiative to clamp down on uninsured drivers.

Five police forces worked in collaboration yesterday (11 April) in the operation against uninsured drivers along the length of the M4 from London to Swansea.

As a result of the MIB (Motor Insurers’ Bureau) initiative, working alongside officers from South Wales, Gwent, Avon and Somerset, Wiltshire, and Thames Valley Police, uninsured vehicles were seized along the 170 mile stretch of the motorway.

Over a quarter of the stops also uncovered secondary offences, including stolen vehicles and possession of drugs.

The clampdown on Thursday was the first of a series of multi-force one-day operations across UK motorways, led by MIB, which acts to protect people from the devastation of uninsured and hit-and-run drivers.

ANPR

The operation used several methods to identify uninsured drivers, including comparing Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras data to data on the Motor Insurance Database (MID), a record of all active motor insurance policies run by MIB.

Uninsured vehicles are then flagged to police and dealt with roadside.

Police intelligence and analysis was also used to establish the whereabouts of uninsured vehicles.

MIB law enforcement liaison officers also joined police officers at the roadside, providing a direct link to the MID and to the MIB Police Helpline, speeding up the process of confirming a vehicles insurance status.

Superintendent Ryan Francis, from Gwent Police, said: “We’re delighted to have MIBs support, and to work with the other M4 services, in tackling an issue that reaches much further than what is seen on the surface.

“We know that through our efforts today, we’ll have stopped stolen and cloned vehicles, individuals with outstanding court warrants, and disqualified drivers, alongside identifying other traffic offences that pose a risk. This collaborative approach provides both focus and attention to a really serious problem in all areas of the UK.”

Future collaborations

MIB are already in the process of exploring future collaborative operations on other major UK road networks, as part of their £5 million investment to reduce uninsured driving.

Martin Saunders, Head of Enforcement at MIB said “We know that all priorities are pressing for our police colleagues.

Whilst we work with the police throughout the year, supporting forces in designating time to focus on uninsured driving allows this issue to be tackled head on in a targeted way. We know the benefits will be widely felt across all different areas of the force and the community, making the M4 and surrounding areas safer.

These multi-force operations are just one more way, in a wider range of initiatives, in which we’re making sure that those flouting the law have nowhere to hide.”