LAST year there were more drivers caught behind the wheel without insurance in West Yorkshire than in any other part of Yorkshire.

More than 4,400 motorists were caught without insurance, with 8,667 vehicles seized, and more than £2 million raised through the sale of seized cars or payments made to get the cars out of impound.

Operation Steerside has been working hard in Bradford for a number of years trying to tackle the scourge of uninsured drivers on the district’s road, but across the county and the whole country the problem just seems to be getting worse and worse.

West Yorkshire Police put the rise last year from 2019 down to better policing and said it is working hard to tackle the issue.

In 2020, there were 4,444 motorists caught driving uninsured in West Yorkshire, up from 3,869 in 2019, an increase of almost 15 per cent.

A total of 8,667 vehicles were seized, up from 7,866 the year before.

Of those vehicles, 1,866 were destroyed by police and 1,995 were sold or auctioned off after being seized, and owners shelled out £1,026,924 to free their vehicles from being impounded after getting insured.

West Yorkshire Police also raised £1,057,805 from selling or auctioning seized vehicles off.

Across the country, the number of motorists caught driving uninsured rose by 16 per cent, with almost 101,000 people caught, up from 86,914 the year before.

More than 102,000 vehicles were seized, with drivers paying a combined £11.7 million to get their cars back, tens of thousands of cars were destroyed, and police forces raised a combined £6.2 million from selling off 9,445 cars.

The research has been compiled by insurance comparison website Confused.com, who said that one possible explanation could have been from people cancelling insurance policies during the Covid-19 lockdowns to save money.

It also found one in six drivers have known they were breaking the law when driving another car, but have done it anyway, with almost two thirds using the excuse that it was only a short journey.

Alex Kindred, car insurance expert at Confused.com, said: “Driving without insurance is an offence that can be costly in fines but can also damage your record when it comes to applying for a new car insurance policy.

“Not only this, but you could risk having to pay to have your car released, which when you consider the fine as well, could end up costing you more than an insurance policy itself.”

A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: ““We are committed to working with partners to make our roads safer and this is demonstrated by these figures, which show that we are catching more uninsured drivers in West Yorkshire.

“Anyone found driving uninsured is likely to have their vehicle seized and receive a fixed penalty notice for £300. They can also expect to have their licence endorsed with six penalty points, and in some cases their vehicle may be destroyed.

“If your case goes to court you could receive a substantial, unlimited fine and may even be disqualified from driving.

“West Yorkshire Police takes road-related offences seriously and we will continue to take action against those who do not drive in accordance with the law.”