Cleveland and Durham Insurance Enforcement Operation during National Tyre Safety Month

Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit will today (Tuesday 1 October) join other Forces across the UK to help remove uninsured drivers from the roads and highlight the importance of tyre safety.

Operation Drive Insured coincides with National Tyre Safety Month which takes place during the entire month of October and will see roads policing officers focusing on tackling those driving uninsured and with tyre defects.

Uninsured drivers often cause an increased risk of harm to our communities. Records show that every year more than 130 people are killed on the roads by uninsured drivers and an additional 70,000 personal injury claims relating to uninsured or untraced drivers are made. The financial impact to compensate victims of injury from uninsured drivers comes to over £298 million annually.

As well as the insurance operation, the Force is also focusing on supporting tyre safety during October. The aim is to highlight the dangers around tyre defects and checking tyres, particularly as the colder weather sets in, and changing behaviours among the minority of motorists that ignore important road safety messages.

Acting Inspector Steve Clyburn, from the Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “Driving without insurance is unacceptable and can have serious implications for other road users in the event of an incident. Removing uninsured vehicles from the roads can prevent further offending and keep our roads safer.

“Officers will be using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology throughout this campaign to identify and stop motorists who may be uninsured. Any drivers found without insurance face having their vehicle seized on the spot, six points on their licence, a £300 fine and possible prosecution through court.

“We are also focusing on ensuring drivers are checking their tyres regularly to reduce the number of tyre-related incidents. It is important that vehicle owners are educated on checking for any defects and abnormalities to ensure that their vehicle is road worthy.”

If a member of the public suspects a person is driving without insurance or with faulty tyres, they can report it to Cleveland Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.