Hundreds of drivers in Kirklees have had their cars seized by police - because they failed to buy insurance.
More than 4,000 vehicles have been taken of the roads so far this year across the county by West Yorkshire Police, according to a new study.
And many of those cars have been sold off or scrapped.
The scale of the problem across the country is getting worse.
New analysis by Churchill Car Insurance reveals at least 27,688 cars have been seized by UK police forces so far this year because the vehicle was uninsured.
London is the uninsured vehicle capital of the UK, with the Met Police having seized 9,935 cars already this year because they were not insured. This is twice the number of the second highest constabulary, West Yorkshire, where 4125 cars have been seized.
Once cars have been seized by the police they may be sold at auction. Police forces across the UK report 1,892 seized cars have already been auctioned this year, raising £1,085,636.56. However, not all vehicles are sold off once seized; more than 6,736 vehicles have been crushed this year, generating a scrap value of £643,891.
The study reveals the highest price secured for a car auctioned off in 2015 to date was for a vehicle seized by Warwickshire Police, which sold for £18,874.00. However, this price pales in comparison to the price secured for a vehicle seized by the Met Police in 2013, which sold for £217,933.00.
Temporary Chief Supt Casserly, of West Yorkshire Police’s Protective Services Department, said:“These figures clearly underline West Yorkshire Police’s continued commitment to removing uninsured drivers and their vehicles from the roads.
“Uninsured drivers are a major concern for law-abiding motorists in West Yorkshire and anyone caught using an uninsured vehicle can expect to have it seized and a large fine, with the possibility of a court appearance.
“Everyone thinks they have the freedom of the road, but the reality is that all motorists have a legal, as well as a moral responsibility to make sure they are insured.”
