Young motorists who travel in uninsured vehicles have more than doubled in the last two years as high premiums cause drivers to take safety risks.
According to newly released data, 6,316 drivers aged between 17 and 20 were convicted of driving without insurance in 2023.
This represents a huge jump in cases compared to the 2,902 drivers caught in 2021 and almost 5,500 spotted in 2022.
The penalty for driving in an uninsured vehicle is a £300 fine and six penalty points, but if taken to court, drivers could face an unlimited fine and even be disqualified from driving.
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Car insurance premiums rose by 25 per cent between 2022 and 2023
PACharity IAM RoadSmart, which conducted the research, warned there could be an "epidemic” of uninsured young motorists unless the Government intervenes.
The figures detail the number of IN10 endorsements added to driving records during a calendar year.
The IN10 endorsement notes which motorists are convicted for using an uninsured vehicle which does not have third-party risk cover.
The charity explained that the increase in endorsements for young drivers coincides with a 25 per cent rise in car insurance premiums between 2022 and 2023.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy at IAM RoadSmart, said: “It is a legal requirement to have the correct insurance to drive, so it is deeply concerning to see a surge in young drivers breaking the law in this way.
“Unless there is intervention, we risk an epidemic of uninsured younger motorists taking to the roads.
“Sadly, this is likely a consequence of the soaring costs of insurance premiums over the last 18 months.
“For young drivers who have recently passed their test, the cost of learning to drive, getting a vehicle, taxing it and then insuring it is becoming an extremely costly process.”
The charity recently called on the Treasury to intervene and halve the standard 12 per cent rate of Insurance Premium Tax for drivers under the age of 25.
It also called for IPT to be “zero” for young motorists who have completed an approved driving or riding course.
Lyes added that while the insurance sector believes it may now be “over the worst of price increases”, falling premiums will feel like a “lifetime away” for newly qualified drivers.
According to the Association of British Insurers, in 2022, the average payout for drivers aged between 17 and 20 was 74 per cent higher than for those aged 46 to 50.
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Drivers aged between 17-20 had the most cases of using uninsured cars
PAA Government spokesperson commented that the overall cost of insurance is determined only in part by IPT, which contributes over £8billion a year towards “vital” public services.