New figures reveal that British drivers are paying at least £31 a year more on their car insurance in order to cover for people who are not insured.

Motor Insurance Bureau says that the statistics totals to more than £0.5m, however, it does not include the financial costs surrounding accidents caused by uninsured drivers.

Critics say that the current law appears softer on penalties for motorists found breaking driving regulations. Additionally, the £250 average fine for getting caught driving without insurance in the UK is too low, according to 79% of those interviewed by the study.

At the same time, You Gov research released today by Comparethemarket revealed 87% of motorists feel that the government doesn’t do enough to prevent people driving without insurance and are calling for tougher penalties.

In addition to the rise in the cost of policy including van insurance cover, 68% of drivers caught up in an accident with an uninsured motorist had to incur liability. 19% of the respondents said they ended up paying for the incident themselves while 49% said they claimed on their own insurance which in turn affected no claims bonuses that may have been accrued.

From the survey sample, more than one in 10 respondents (12%) had been involved in an accident with an uninsured driver.