More than 36,000 cars being driven on Hampshire roads are uninsured, according to new figures obtained by the Daily Echo. The statistics were released by the Motor Insurers Bureau, which used figures for accidents involving uninsured vehicles in the past year to calculate the lack of cover on Hampshire’s roads.

According to the MIB report, in some areas of the county, more than one in ten motorists has no car insurance. Southampton city centre was reported to have the worst black spot where 12.5 per cent of cars (1,426 vehicles) have no cover.

The statistics show that areas that are of major concern include Portswood/Highfield had at least 548 cars (7 per cent),  Sholing/Thornhill  recorded 2,039 cars (6.8 per cent)and Shirley/Millbrook 1,423 cars (6.5 per cent). According to road safety campaigners, many young drivers are prepared to risk being caught without insurance because of the high cost of policies.

The report further revealed that uninsured motorists are ten times more likely to drink-drive and three times more likely to be convicted of careless driving. Police say that more than 10,000 drivers without a valid driving licence or insurance have had their vehicles seized since July 2005.

A Hampshire police spokesman said: “We have automatic number plate recognition technology in our vehicles to catch those who flout the law. Over the last few years, the force has run a number of operations targeting uninsured as well as unlicensed drivers and removed hundreds of vehicles from our roads as a result.”