Police say uninsured cars may be crushed

Cumbria Police are joining forces with the Association of British Insurers and other agencies to tackle the problem of uninsured drivers.

Those motorists found without insurance risk having their cars seized, impounded and crushed.

The move follows a number of recent road deaths involving uninsured drivers in the county.

'Appropriate action'

Insurers reckon that for every fatal road traffic collision involving an uninsured driver, the taxpayer foots a bill of about �1.6m dealing with the aftermath.

It is estimated that currently one in 20 motorists drive on the UK's roads without adequate insurance.

Insp Iain Clark, of Cumbria Police said: "We are proactively working with other agencies to identify uninsured drivers and we, as a force, will take the appropriate action to remove them from the roads.''

"Those drivers that fail to insure themselves are also very unlikely to possess a valid MOT certificate and will also invariably fail to tax their vehicles.

"The result is that they are driving vehicles that pose a risk to other road-users and need to be removed from our roads."