Drivers are being warned to check they are not making the mistakes that leave thousands uninsured each day.
The Motor Insurance Bureau helps the police to identify uninsured vehicles through the use of its Motor Insurance Database (MID) and has found 50pc of drivers become uninsured by avoidable human error.
Common mistakes like letting your policy expire or not following the terms and conditions of the policy can lead to two in three drivers having their vehicles seized if caught.
Paul Farley, law enforcement manager at MIB, said: “Sadly, each day we find cases where someone has been stopped by the police for driving without insurance and it appears they were unwittingly breaking the law due to human error.
"This is incredibly frustrating for everyone involved.
"Not only can this be a negative experience for the driver, but it also impacts police resources as they would prefer drivers to not make mistakes and be insured, so they can concentrate on motorists who intentionally drive without insurance and pose the greatest risk to road safety.”
What happens if I am caught driving without car insurance?
Uninsured drivers can have their vehicle seized (and potentially crushed), receive a £300 fixed penalty notice and six licence points.
They could also face court and receive an unlimited fine and/or a driving ban. A driving conviction can also impact job prospects.
Common mistakes to avoid
The Motor Insurance Bureau has warned drivers to avoid these common mistakes that can leave cars uninsured.
Driving with an expired policy
If a driver neglects to take note of when their policy ends, or wrongly assumes that it will auto-renew, then it can lapse.
Policy cancellation
A policy can be cancelled by an insurer if payments have been missed.
Often, this is because a payment method has not been updated and therefore paid.
A policy can also be cancelled if a driver fails to respond to documentation requests from their insurer.
Driving someone else’s car
Many drivers make the mistake of assuming fully-comp cover allows them to drive another person’s vehicle - but this is not often the case.
It’s important to check with the insurer that the policy includes a Driving Other Vehicles (DOV) extension.
Many motorists also wrongly assume that they are a named driver on another person’s policy.
Wrong class-of-use
A vehicle must be driven in accordance with its agreed purpose with the insurer, otherwise, the driver will still be uninsured.
For example, if a car is on a Social, Domestic & Pleasure (SDP) policy but it is being used for business purposes, this is uninsured driving.
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