This Company Saved a Bunch of Uninsured Supercars From Being Crushed
The U.K.’s problem with uninsured motorists isn’t exclusive to the Ford Fiesta.
The United Kingdom has a big problem with uninsured drivers. In fact, getting into an accident in East London could result in a one-in-eight chance that the driver carries no insurance on their vehicles, reports insurer Churchill. Police have begun to steadily crack down on this for obvious reasons, ensuring that less liability falls on those being struck by those who refused to carry a policy. Since 2008, a law has been in effect which stipulates that if a driver was found to be uninsured and still fails to insure their vehicle, it could be seized and crushed—and that's exactly what they've been doing.
Insurance in the UK is rightfully expensive, and until the majority of the cars on the roads are self-driving, it will likely remain that way. Though some less expensive vehicles like the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, and Volkswagen Golf still top the charts of repeat offenders, a strange trend has emerged focusing solely on the super-wealthy. We're not talking about those who own 3-series BMWs and C-class Mercedes either (though they were on the list as well). As it turns out, supercar owners in the UK are often found to be larger offenders when it comes to insurance, some leaving cars which cost nearly half-a-million dollars uninsured.
A service called CrushWatch was founded by U.K. company Cap HPI to help mitigate just which of these vehicles actually go to the crusher, and which ones are saved. Though the company doesn't save the cars itself, it does help to facilitate the successful recovery of the vehicle by a financier who otherwise would go unnotified of the vehicle's impending fate. If the vehicle would be crushed, the lender could likely find itself recouping little to none of the remaining financed amount without seeking legal action, costing it even more in the long run.
"Alarmingly, the HPI CrushWatch figures highlight that a minority of drivers of high-value cars believe they are above the law and exempt from taking out insurance, causing a risk to other road users and pedestrians," said Barry Shorto, HPI's head of industry relations, "This is not the case and HPI will continue to work closely with UK police forces to ensure offenders are caught and dealt with appropriately."
In September 2017 alone, HPI claims that it recovered 10 vehicles collectively valued at over $1.3 million. This includes a Lamborghini Aventador valued at $430,000, a Mercedes G-Wagon worth over $140,000, a $125,000 Ferrari FF, $120,000 Porsche 911, a Bentley Continental GTC worth nearly $105,000, and an $80,000 Maserati GranTurismo.
The $1.3 million in expensive exotics is only a small fraction of the value of vehicles actually confiscated. During the entire month, vehicles of all classes, makes, and models totaled a value of over $12,476,600, forcing owners to seek out alternative forms of transportation. The total value of all vehicles throughout the year has yet to be calculated, however, it is believed to be worth more than $90 million across all of the U.K. Many of these vehicles will be auctioned off, however a great deal of them could find their way to the crusher to meet their final resting place in a scrap yard.
