"We know that people who don't insure their vehicles, or indeed drive with no licence or test certificate, are more likely to be involved in other criminal activity, and in collisions - collisions in which people may be killed or seriously injured. Drivers are rightly fed up with those who flout the law and we are determined to rid the roads of this small hardcore of anti-social drivers." Meredydd Hughes, head of roads policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers and Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, said: "The police service and the Government are constantly striving to make our roads as safe as possible for all road users. He said: "Today we are sending out a very clear message to those who drive without insurance - there is now no place to hide. "The new powers to link up cameras and the insurance database will make it far easier for police to tell if passing cars are uninsured and take action against the driver." Mr Darling went on: "On top of these powers, we are creating a new offence of keeping a vehicle without insurance.
This will be enforced through a new database of insurance details which means that uninsured drivers don't even need to be on the road to be caught. "It is estimated that every law-abiding motorist pays an extra £30 a year because of uninsured drivers. Mr Darling was in Birmingham to see West Midlands Police in action as they began the crackdown. Tough measures to crack down on uninsured drivers were unveiled today by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling. From today, police forces across the country can use automatic number plate recognition cameras to spot and ultimately seize and destroy cars being driven without insurance. The cameras are linked to a database which contains details of all vehicles registered in the UK which are believed to be uninsured. She added: "I accept there are some families where parents cannot be involved.
"But we keep using the argument 'What about these girls that self-harm?' You know they are frightened and that there should a path to help these girls. "But I would say 'What about all these girls who have had an abortion, and they have gone on to self-harm, and they have gone on to take drugs, and they have actually gone and committed suicide? What about these girls?". Mrs Axon said if their school wanted to give one of her daughters a paracetamol "they would have to phone and ask my permission". "Not long ago my daughter needed a plaster on her toe and her youth club asked for my permission. "I find the law absolutely crazy that she can have an abortion without me supposed to know about it.