Cheshire Police joins northern forces in M62 operation tackling uninsured drivers

On Thursday 11 July, Cheshire Police’s Roads and Crime Unit joined four fellow forces, the North West Motorway Police Group and the Motor Insurers Bureau in launching Operation Coast to Coast, a day of collaborative action tackling uninsured vehicles being used on one of Cheshire's busiest motorways, the M62.

The M62 is the main route that connects the east and west coasts of northern England, running through five counties and connecting cities such as Chester, Manchester, and Leeds, and ports in Liverpool, and Hull.

As part of the operation, over 90 road policing officers from Cheshire, West Yorkshire, Humberside, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside supported the North West Motorway Police and the Motor Insurers Bureau in conducting the operation across 220 miles of motorway running in both directions, giving uninsured drivers no place to hide from repercussions.

Keeping Cheshire’s roads safe for law-abiding motorists is business as usual for the Constabulary and officers have a number of tools at their disposal, such as the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and the conducting of traffic stops in marked and unmarked vehicles, to catch uninsured drivers.

It is illegal to drive a vehicle on the road or in a public place without at least third-party insurance; even if the vehicle is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it you may be considered to be driving without insurance and could potentially be penalised.

Uninsured drivers could receive a fixed penalty of £300 and six points on their licence and, if the case goes to court, they could face an unlimited fine and be disqualified from driving. The police also have the power to seize, and in some cases, destroy a vehicle if it's being driven without insurance. 

On Thursday's operation, officers were based at the Burtonwood service station near junction 8 of the motorway from 7am. Throughout the operation, officers engaged with members of the public at the service station and patrolled the motorway, conducting traffic stops on uninsured vehicles.

Our officers also provided support to other forces that had spotted drivers coming in and out of Cheshire and into the neighbouring counties, with well over 250 vehicles stop-checked across the five counties.

Here in Cheshire, officers stopped a total of 67 vehicles, 43 of which were being driven without insurance. Officers also seized nine vehicles, issued 27 traffic offence reports and made two arrests - one involving an outstanding wanted suspect.

Inspector Anton Sullivan, of the Force's Roads and Crime Unit, said:

“Thursday's operation was not a one-off. Ensuring Cheshire's roads are safe for motorists and targeting those who take the privilege of owning a vehicle for granted is business as usual for the Constabulary's Roads and Crime Unit and it was great to see so many drivers on this particularly busy motorway properly insuring their vehicles.

"Road users should be aware that it is illegal to drive a vehicle on a road or in a public place without at least third-party insurance. Even if the vehicle itself is insured, if you’re not correctly insured to drive it, you could be considered to be driving without insurance and could get penalised in the form of a £300 fine and six points on your licence. In serious circumstances, your vehicle may also be seized by police and destroyed.

“By engaging with drivers and explaining to them the laws and regulations surrounding vehicle insurance and educating them on the importance of adhering to those laws for their own and other road users’ safety, our officers are making a concerted effort to keep our roads and communities safe."

Superintendent Saf Ali, added:

"While driving without insurance may not seem like a serious crime, we know there is a strong link between the illegal use of vehicles and other serious and organised crime.

"This is why we are working together with our colleagues in Merseyside, GMP, West Yorkshire, and Humberside to send a clear message that police will not stop pursuing those who are intent on coming into and out of Cheshire and flouting the rules of the road."

Cheshire Roads and Crime officers were also amongst the first in responding to the serious collision involving two HGVs and a taxi on the M62 that sadly resulted in the deaths of a 24 and 28-year-old man, with several officers due to take part in the operation being quickly redeployed to the scene to manage traffic and support the first responders.

RCU officers also stopped drivers on a number of Fatal Five offences, with 11 drivers being stopped for insecure loads, five for the use of mobile phones whilst driving, three of not wearing a seatbelt, three for driving without due care and attention, two for speeding and two not having a valid MOT. 

Nine drivers were also issued with a prohibition notice, which is given to vehicles with mechanical defects or insecure loads, that prevents them from using their vehicle until the issue has been rectified.

Across the remainder of July, RCU officers will be taking part in the National Police Chief Council's Fatal Five Operation, tackling drivers who are dangerously using Cheshire's roads.

The Fatal Five

• Careless driving
• Drink and drug driving
• Not wearing a seatbelt
• Using a mobile phone
• Speeding

Road users who commit one of the Fatal Five offences are far more likely to be involved in a fatal collision than those who do not.

Further information on correctly insuring your vehicle can be found on the Cheshire Police website.