Rise in car insurance drives over a millions to break the law

Millions of drivers in the UK admit to driving without insurance due to the recent rise in premium costs according to new research by CRIF.

The findings show that 5% of motorists have previously driven without motor insurance due to rising costs, despite it being a legal requirement.  This equates to around 1.4 million drivers potentially breaking the law.

In addition to those who have driven without insurance, a further 2.4 million drivers (8%) report that they haven’t driven without insurance to date but would be prepared to do so if necessary in the future.

While car insurance premiums have started to decline from an all-time high, they are still significantly above pre-pandemic levels and motorists continue to feel the impact. Findings from The Association of British Insurers (ABI) show that motor insurance premiums soared by 25% in 2023 alone.**

Across Europe more widely, the research reveals that nearly half (45%) of European policyholders have noticed a sharp increase over the past five years. Overall, more than a quarter (28%) of European drivers believe their insurance is now the most expensive it’s ever been, with the UK above this average and British drivers among the most likely to be feeling this way (33%).

Potential motor fraud is also of major concern, with one in five (19%) UK drivers fearing the prospect of staged accidents, set up so others can make a claim. In an effort to mitigate such risks, 15% of Brits say they have set up a dashcam for insurance reasons and 8% of drivers say they now drive less because of fears about such an incident.

Sara Costantini, Regional Director for the UK & Ireland at CRIF said “UK drivers are struggling with spiralling premiums and it’s deeply concerning to see millions of people take to the road uninsured as a result. They’re not only breaking the law but also putting them and others at increased risk.

“While premiums have started to drop, they remain well above pre-pandemic levels. It’s vital the industry works to harness the latest innovations in areas like data and analytics to improve assessments and fraud detection. This would help drive costs down further and increase affordability, so that drivers aren’t forced to choose between their finances and safety on the road.”