Human toll of the motoring crime that costs over (pounds) 500m a year BACKGROUND

The High Court in Glasgow heard that George Anderson, 19, then sped off in the car he and his friends had bought for (pounds) 30. He abandoned it and dropped the keys down a drain in an attempt to hide his shocking crime.

Anderson, who had been driving ''like an idiot'' at 60mph in the H-registration Vauxhall Cavalier when he raced into Suzanne, from Houston, Renfrewshire, in December 2002, was jailed for five years in March.

Four years earlier, another heartbreaking story unfolded at the High Court in London when a medical research technician whose life was shattered when he was struck by an uninsured van driver, won a (pounds) 1m agreed damages settlement.

Robert Sharp, 36, an honours graduate in biochemistry from Glasgow University, suffered appalling head injuries when he was hurled 16yds after being struck by the van as he crossed a road in London, months after he had landed a job there. The accident left Mr Sharp, who was brought up in Galston, Ayrshire, with severe brain damage.

The tragic stories of Suzanne and Mr Sharp are among thousands that finally prompted the government yesterday to unveil a series of plans to tackle the problem of uninsured drivers, including seizing and destroying their cars.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) estimates that around one in 20 drivers, one million people, currently do not have insurance cover in the UK. According to the RAC Foundation, 150,000 flout the law in Scotland.

Some of the worst offenders are the testosterone-fuelled young male drivers. More than a third of male drivers aged 18-20 have driven without insurance or a licence, say the RAC.

In Scotland, recent figures showed 14,520 cases led to a conviction for driving without insurance. The worst area was Strathclyde with 6237, followed by Lothian and Borders with 2448.

Grampian, Tayside, and Fife police areas accounted for more than 1000 convictions each, with Northern Constabulary and Dumfries and Galloway relatively law-abiding with 580 cases each.

In the UK as a whole, it cost those who do have insurance around (pounds) 30 a year each in higher premiums. But the cost to motorists does not end there, with many drivers having to foot the bill if they are involved in a collision with an uninsured driver.

Insurer Direct Line estimates that, after paying their policy excess and losing any no-claims bonus, being hit by an uninsured driver costs motorists about (pounds) 400.

Recent research carried out by the group found that, despite not having any motor cover, 73% of uninsured drivers believe they drive carefully and within the law, while 60% say they do not bother to get cover because they think it is unlikely they will have an accident.

However, the ABI found uninsured drivers were actually three times more likely to have been convicted for driving without due care and attention, and 10 times more likely to have been convicted for drink driving. They are also six times more likely to have been convicted for driving an unroadworthy vehicle.

The ABI found that around 15% of drivers admitted to driving without insurance at some time and, despite 85% recognising it was a serious offence, most felt the chances of getting caught were low.

The insurance industry has long been calling for police to make greater use of the insurers' database that contains vehicle details.

It has also called for a link to be set up between the database and the DVLA to flag up motorists who have their car taxed but then cancel their insurance.

The ABI said the three European countries with the lowest incidence of uninsured driving were Sweden, Germany, and Belgium, where police all used a database.

Barry Smith, chairman of the ABI's motor committee, added: ''For too long, the honest motorist has paid for the crime of uninsured driving. We welcome the government's intention to bring in more effective penalties, particularly seizure of vehicles.''