New Police data shows 57,000 Brits driving illegally
THOUSANDS of UK drivers are
forgetting to deal with their car admin every year, car subscription service
Wagonex reveals, with 57,7083 drivers caught on the roads without insurance or a
valid MOT last year.
Of those that offended, 44,328 were caught for not paying their insurance while
13,380 motorists were caught for not booking their car in for an MOT.
The FOI data from UK Police forces, which was obtained by Wagonex, also found
that this year alone 3,214 drivers were pulled over for failing to deal with the
hassle of car admin tasks, like sorting their insurance or MOTs.
However, the figure could be much larger as additional research commissioned by
Wagonex reveals 1 in tendrivers; equivalent to five million of the UK's license
holders – admit to knowingly driving without a valid MOT or insurance.
The research highlights that drivers who forgot to pay their insurance and MOT
fees last year were at risk of fines costing almost £27 million. Those who drive
without the correct insurance could be subject to a £300 fixed fine and 6
penalty points. If caught driving a vehicle with out-of-date maintenance, you
could be faced with a fine of up to £1,000. Given the number of people who have
already offended this year, 2023 car admin criminals are risking fines of up to
£3 million.
From a Regional perspective, Northern Ireland and Lancashire are the worst areas
for uninsurance and outdated MOTs, respectively - and both Regions are in top
five for both car admin crimes.
Northern Ireland, Kent and Staffordshire, collectively made up 34% of uninsured
driver offences in 2022, whereas Lancashire, Suffolk and North Yorkshire make up
for 37% of offences for driving without an MOT.
The UK's worst areas for car admin crimes:-
Uninsured | Out of date MOT |
1. Northern Ireland | 1. Lancashire. |
2. Kent | 2. Suffolk. |
3. Staffordshire | 3. North Yorkshire. |
4. Lancashire | 4. Norfolk. |
5. South Wales | 5. Northern Ireland. |
Of those offending, young
drivers are most likely to be caught driving uninsured, with:- 21 to
30 year olds being accountable for 2,800 offences between:- January
2022 and April 2023.
Toby Kernon, CEO and Founder at Wagonex, says that car subscription
adoption could tackle uninsurance and MOT neglect as 23% of people
say reducing car admin is the most appealing part of subscription as
a car ownership alternative. He said:- "The least fun part of
owning or financing a car is the admin that comes with it. From
remembering when your insurance is due to going through the
rigmarole of finding an MOT Centre that can fit you in when you need
them too. So many of us are time poor, but unfortunately these
things are legal necessities and forgetting them or putting them off
can put you at risk of hefty car admin fines. If you're 1 of those 5
million drivers who is driving around without insurance or MOT; and
it's because you don't have the time to sort it; car subscription
could be for you. Like many subscription services, car subscription
is there to make life easier. Everything is bundled in, so you never
have to face the hassle of car admin. All of the vehicles listed on
Wagonex.com come inclusive of MOT, maintenance and servicing with
optional insurance too; giving you the freedom to choose your own
provider if you prefer."
New study reveals 1 in 5 employers in the North West are likely to make redundancies over the next year
A new survey from Acas has found
that just under a quarter of employers (23%) in the North West of England are
likely to make staff redundancies over the next year. Acas commissioned YouGov
to ask businesses in the North West about their redundancy plans in the next 12
months.
Acas Chief Executive, Susan Clews, said:- "Some businesses are facing
tough challenges and our poll reveals that 1 in 4 employers in the North West
are considering redundancies in the year ahead. Acas advice for bosses in the
North West is to exhaust all possible alternatives to redundancies 1st but if
employers feel like they have no choice then they must follow the law in this
area or they could be subject to a costly legal process."
If an employer finds there are no other choices than to make redundancies, then
there are strict rules on consulting staff that they must follow. An employer
must discuss any planned changes and consult with each employee who could be
affected. This includes staff who may not be losing their jobs, but will be
impacted.
The minimum consultation period varies depending on the number of employees that
an employer wishes to make redundant. By law, employers who wish to make 20 or
more staff redundant over any 3 month (90 day) period must also consult a
recognised trade union or elected employee representatives about the proposed
changes.
For 20 to 99 redundancies, consultation must start at least 30 days before the
1st dismissal can take effect, and for 100 or more redundancies, it must start
at least 45 days before. For less than 20 redundancies, there is no set time
period, but the length of consultation must be reasonable.
If an employer does not meet consultation requirements, employees can take their
employer to an employment tribunal. If successful, the employer may have to pay
up to 90 days' full pay for each affected employee. Someone can also make a
claim of unfair dismissal to an employment tribunal on the grounds that they
were not consulted, or the consultation was not meaningful.
Employers should consider all possible options before considering redundancies
as other solutions to their situation could be found through consultation with
their staff, employee representatives and unions.
Acas advisers have seen many examples of this joint working that's produced
creative alternatives to job losses. Such as part-time working, cuts to
overtime, finding alternative roles and retraining.
Acas's full advice for staff and employers about redundancies is available at:-
ACAS.Org.UK.