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The penalties for driving without appropriate insurance are "disproportionate to the crime", it has been claimed.
A spokesperson for the Association of British Insurers stated that approximately one in 20 motorists in the UK take to the roads without insurance.
Consequently, law-abiding motorists tend to shoulder the financial burden created as a result of this large number of offenders, the expert explained.
There are a number of reasons why people do not adhere to the law, he noted, claiming that often people think because of the "pretty low" detection rate they can get away with not purchasing insurance.
"Penalties have been, and still to some extent remain, disproportionate to the crime," he added.
In fact, a study by insurance firm Direct Line showed that average fines for the offence have fallen significantly over the last ten years.
Since 1998, average fines for uninsured drivers have decreased from £224 to £185.
However, Graeme Trudgill, technical and corporate affairs executive at the British Insurance Brokers' Association, recently confirmed that the government is set to launch a consultation into the development of a new system to enforce the law.
It is proposed that the motor insurance database ought to be compared with the DVLA's registered keeper database to detect drivers who flout the regulations.
