Government proposals to allow the police to seize, and where appropriate destroy, uninsured vehicles have been revealed by Road Safety Minister David Jamieson.

In the UK there are an estimated 1.2 million people - about one in 20 motorists - who regularly drive uninsured, and honest motorists pay an estimated £30 each to cover the cost of claims made against the uninsured.

The Government’s consultation document ‘Seizure of Vehicles being Driven Uninsured’ (available at www.dft.gov.uk) seeks views on giving the police the power to seize a vehicle being used by an uninsured driver.

The vehicle would be released after the driver can produce the correct insurance documentation and has paid a fine.

The police would be able to destroy vehicles which were not collected within a prescribed period. Road Safety Minister David Jamieson said: ‘Getting these vehicles off the road will improve road safety for everyone and reduce the nuisance people experience when they try to make a claim off someone who turns out to be uninsured.

Honest motorists are fed up with the menace of uninsured driving. Not only do they add about £30 to every insurance policy, they are also more likely to break other traffic law - such as driving dangerous vehicles.’

The maximum fine for driving without insurance is £5,000, with six-eight penalty points on a licence and possible disqualification. The consultation period ends on November 26.