Police crackdown begins after more than 200 uninsured drivers caught in Cumbria this year
Cumbria Constabulary are supporting a national NPCC operation to target drivers without insurance.
The operation is running this week - Monday 15 November to Sunday 21 November - with officers looking to enforce and educate drivers throughout. This week of action highlights ongoing work to target uninsured drivers year-round.
It is illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or in a public place without at least 3rd party insurance. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you're not correctly insured to drive it you could be considered to be driving without insurance and could get penalised.
You could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and six penalty points if you are caught driving a vehicle that you are not insured to drive. If the case goes to court, you could get an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy the vehicle that's being driven uninsured.
Uninsured driving is associated with an increased likelihood of being involved in a serious road crash and pushes up the costs of insurance for all drivers.
Cumbria's Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, says, "There is no excuse for driving without insurance.
"This operation is really important as we do not want law-abiding drivers to be caught out if they are involved in a crash with an uninsured driver - it simply isn't fair.
"I would urge everyone to check that their vehicle is fully insured and if you're insurance has expired please renew or risk being caught and face the consequences of your actions as you will be caught by the police."