Published: Thursday, 1st January, 2009 7:00am

Illegal drivers run into trouble

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NEARLY 800 cars being driven without a licence or insurance have been taken off Reading's roads in the last year.

Between January 1 and November 30, police impounded 780 cars being driven illegally, leaving owners to either pay a fine or face their vehicles being crushed or auctioned.

Across the Thames Valley, 6,031 vehicles were seized - including a Bentley. Most kept by the police were crushed but 17 were auctioned, raising £21,500.

Chief Inspector Gill Wootton said: "780 is a high number - indicative of the scale of the problem and the effectiveness with which we are dealing with it.

"Many drivers aren't best pleased at having their vehicle seized at the roadside if they are on the way to an important meeting or going on holiday, but that is the risk that they take if they haven't got their insurance or a licence.

"There are lots of people who still think it's okay to drive - people think 'I can just quickly drive to the shops, it's not going to happen to me'.

"Many people think they are competent drivers. Unfortunately, sometimes things do happen to people. If they are in a collision and have no insurance it is also very difficult for any other driver involved.

"We've had expensive cars that have been seized, down to vehicles that really ought not to be on the road.

"Their drivers present a threat to other road users and themselves. We are very keen on reducing the number of seriously injured and killed people on our roads and are going to use this legislation.

"Anyone driving without a license or insurance should be aware that Thames Valley Police can and will seize your car and you will have to pay penalties, sometimes higher than the cost of insurance, to get it back."

The powers under section 165a of the Road Traffic Act 1988 were introduced as a pilot scheme in February 2006 then made available to all roads policing officers in October 2006.

When a driver is stopped, police use a national database to check whether he or she has a license and insurance and can impound the car immediately if the driver does not have either.

The owner can then either sign away ownership of the car to the police or come back to the police station within two weeks to show the valid documents and pay a £105 seizure fee and £12 a day storage to reclaim their vehicle.

Police can also issue a £200 fixed penalty notice for no insurance and six penalty points, half the maximum permitted before the licence is taken away.