Honest motorists in the UK are footing an annual bill of more than £1.25 billion for the actions of uninsured and fraudulent drivers.

Co-operative Insurance carried out recent research which showed that policies have risen by more than £50 in recent years to subsidise the additional costs caused dishonest claimants and illegal drivers.

The sum is roughly equivalent to the cost of 52 days more insurance cover for the average honest driver.

The research pointed the finger squarely at younger road users, after finding that nearly 25 per cent of under 21-year-olds admitted to having driven illegally, whether it was uninsured, without a licence or in an unsafe vehicle.

Co-operative Financial Services boss, Tim Franklin, said, "Millions of people are deliberately flouting the law by not insuring their cars at massive cost to honest road users and the wider insurance industry posing an unnecessary and unjustified risk."

"While work is continuing to be done to highlight the dangers of uninsured drivers and keep them off the UK's public highways by police, road safety groups and the insurance industry, there is clearly more to be done."

More than 23,000 people are injured or killed each year by road-users who are driving illegally.

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