Record numbers of uninsured vehicles are being destroyed, according to new figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Data released at the ABI's annual motor conference revealed that 45,000 cars and vans have been crushed after being seized by police in roadside checks.
New technology, which recognises number plates and automatically informs officers of whether a car is insured, has led to 100,000 cars being seized this year - compared to 78,000 during 2006.
Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the ABI, said: "Uninsured drivers are a menace.
"They often drive unroadworthy vehicles, and the cost of compensating their victims adds an extra £30 a year to premiums paid by honest motorists.
"These figures show that the determination of the insurance industry and the police to drive them from our roads is beginning to bear fruit."
Ashton West, group chief executive of the Motor Insurers' Bureau, added that the campaign to get uninsured drivers off the road had been "stepped up a gear" and that this was expected to increase further over the next few months.
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