Research from the Motor Insurance Bureau has found that one in 20 van drivers do not have van insurance for their vehicle, despite using it regularly.

The study was based in Peterborough, where they found that as many as five per cent of motorists were uninsured.

That number increased in certain areas, such as in the PE1 postcode. Uninsured drivers are also more likely to be involved in a crash, with 1,125 accidents in Cambridgeshire last year involving an uninsured driver.

For those law abiding citizens who do have insurance, uninsured drivers push up the price of policies and cause a danger on the roads.

It has been estimated by the road safety charity Brake, that around £30 of every drivers annual cover goes towards paying for the damage caused by motorists involved in crashes who do not have cover.

The Motor Insurance Bureau estimates that there are around 15 thousand uninsured vehicles in the country, out of a total of 426,000.

A police spokeswoman spoke of the danger that uninsured drivers pose to other motorists, saying “There is still a number of drivers who think it is acceptable to drive without insurance. These people are a menace on the roads, creating a danger to themselves and others.”