A report going to a Metropolitan Police Authority committee today, says that "record numbers of serial and serious traffic offenders are being disqualified from driving by courts in London." Since late 2006/07, 8,759 have been disqualified in London.
Action against the estimated 400,000 uninsured drivers in London has also increased dramatically in the last five years. No vehicles were seized by the Met Police in 2004; whilst 14,230 were taken off the roads in 2007. This doubled to 31,934 in the financial year 2008/09.
The initial increase in seizures was delivered through the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems by the Traffic Police. The recent further increase has come partly through the roll out across London of new powers allowing local Safer Neighbourhood Teams to seize illegal vehicles – borough police account for 13,153.
Jenny Jones said:
"The police could do even more, seizing up to 100,000 illegal cars in London a year, but there’s a lack of space in vehicle pounds. Money made from seized vehicles should be reinvested in more enforcement. £3 million of the money is also going to pay for new police teams on the buses. There are a large numbers of illegal drivers in London because of the lack of enforcement in the past. It means that legal drivers have to pay higher insurance premiums, whilst cyclists and pedestrians are often the victims of hit and run driving, which is linked to motorists not having insurance, or a proper licence.
"These people are trying to put themselves beyond the law. It means that every time their car is caught on camera speeding or driving in a bus lane, the letter and fine go nowhere and they get away with it. Because illegal drivers think they can get away with it they drive less safely, putting us all at greater risk."
"We need to sustain that level of enforcement until we get the message across that you cannot benefit from this kind of behaviour any longer. It has been established for some years that there is a strong link between general criminality and lawless driving; more action on this problem would benefit everyone."