The FOI request, directed to the DVLA, revealed that 194,997 full licence holders and 31,806 provisional licence holders have been caught driving without vehicle insurance and have received points for doing so – one in two-hundred drivers. In the 17-35 age range, one in every 100 people with a full driving licence has points for driving uninsured.

Figures also show that in both licence categories and all age groups, it is men who are far more likely to commit this offence. In the 17-24 age category, men are four times more likely to have points on their licence for driving uninsured than women.

Other findings were:

• People in the 25-35 age category are most likely to drive uninsured (81,003 with points).
• Drivers over 65 were least likely to have points on their licence for driving without insurance (0.06%, or 3,867 people).
• 0.44% of people with a provisional license have been caught driving uninsured.

IAM chief executive, Simon Best, said: ‘These findings are shocking. Those 200,000 individuals who drive whilst uninsured place the burden back on those who abide by the law through higher premiums and potentially the cost of vehicle repair.

 ‘The most concerning fact is that this could just be the tip of the iceberg, as these numbers only represent those who have been caught and penalised. Insurance fraud and uninsured driving are also growing problems that need to be tackled through a coordinated approach from enforcement authorities. It is not acceptable that drivers pay up to £70 in higher premiums to compensate for those who ignore the law.’