A new report has discovered that as many as one in five young people is driving without the correct level of insurance.

The Motor Insurers Bureau (MIB) found that 250,000 people aged between 17 and 20 are taking to the roads without cover, putting insured drivers at risk if they are hit.

Many young people claimed they did not know that insurance is a legal requirement, while others said that the high cost of insurance has led to them breaking the law.

Ashton West, chief executive of the MIB, commented: "While we recognise the financial pressures for drivers taking to the roads for the first time, it is also a criminal offence to drive without proper insurance cover."

The MIB was established to deal with cases stemming from uninsured driver accidents and manages over 30,000 claims from people who have been hit by someone without cover every year.

Anyone involved in such an accident may wish to seek legal advice, as motoring claims can be complicated and lengthy.