More than 100 vehicles seized in major police operation
More than 100 vehicles have been seized and four people arrested as police crackdown on uninsured drivers.
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A new collaboration between West Midlands Police and Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) has delivered 'significant' results in removing uninsured vehicles from West Midlands roads.
Launched only eight weeks ago, the initiative, called OpScalis, has already seen more than 100 vehicles seized and four people arrested.
The operation has seen 11 days of activity so far, with over 100 vehicles seized to date. Officers were on the streets of West Bromwich yesterday for the 11th day of action, where they seized 14 vehicles and made four arrests for secondary offences including supply of class A drugs and class B drugs, immigration offences and dangerous driving following a failure to stop.
The operation also gives police the power to seize and in some cases, destroy the vehicle that's being driven uninsured.
Sergeant Francis Allen, West Midlands Police Force Traffic Unit, said: "Working with MIB has allowed us to focus our efforts precisely on the areas with the biggest prevalence of uninsured driving, maximising the impact of our operations.
"As well as seizing over 100 uninsured vehicles, we have arrested people for stolen vehicles, vehicles transporting stolen property, court warrants and disqualified drivers along with numerous traffic offences as part of the operation."
The remaining days of the operation, to be set over April and May will be used to strategically deploy officers in different areas based on data-driven insights.
The action will allow for authorities to gain a clearer understanding of high-risk locations with persistent problems with uninsured drivers.
Paul Farley, national law enforcement manager at MIB, said: "We know that all priorities are pressing for our police colleagues.
"However, by supporting forces in designating time to focus on uninsured driving, we know the benefits will be widely felt across all different areas of the force and the community, making roads safer."
The help support West Midlands Police during Operation Scalis, the MIB joined in a number of operations to provide roadside checks and speed up the process of confirming if a vehicle is insured.
Martin Saunders, head of enforcement at MIB, said: "We are excited to witness progress with Operation Scalis – this is just one more way, in a wider range of initiatives, in which we’re making sure that those flouting the law have nowhere to hide."
