Fines for driving without insurance are now lower than the average cost of a policy, according to a report.

While the average cost of car insurance is £485, courts across the UK gave most uninsured motorists an average £362 fine on top of a ban in 2018, according to a report in The Mirror. What’s more, the number of motorists driving without insurance has hit a 10-year high – with The Mirror reporting a record of 149,299 convicted this year, up 4% from last year and a whopping 63% from 2012.

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David Spencer, research director at the Centre for Crime Prevention, told The Mirror that the situation is “ludicrous.”

“How can anyone expect people to respect the law if it rewards them for breaking it? Where’s the deterrent? Fines must rise and serious or repeat offenders must face mandatory jail sentences,” he said.

Meanwhile Simon Williams, media relations manager at RAC said that the situation “goes against common sense.”

“Every incident they’re [uninsured motorists] involved with adds to the average cost of insurance for law-abiding drivers,” Williams told The Mirror.