HPI Crushwatch joins forces with the Metropolitan Police

The Metropolitan Police is the latest of the UK’s police forces to sign up to HPI CrushWatch, to support their campaign to clamp down on illegal motoring. As a result, HPI CrushWatch is stopping the Capital’s untaxed and uninsured vehicles from being crushed and returning them to the finance companies that own them. In the first 3 months of it joining the Scheme, the Met Police enabled HPI to alert lenders to over £10.5 million worth of ‘at risk’ vehicles.  

44 of the UK’s police forces now actively use HPI Crushwatch, with the participation of the Met Police dramatically increasing the numbers of vehicles being returned to their legal owners by over 50%.  “The Metropolitan Police Services covers an area of 620 square miles and a population of 7.2 million.  In London alone, an estimated 10% of drivers are uninsured, making this a very real issue for the Met Police and a threat to road users and the finance providers who own the offending cars,” explains Daniel Burgess, managing director of HPI.

HPI CrushWatch was created by HPI in direct response to the Finance & Leasing Association’s (FLA) Vehicle Recovery Scheme; an initiative to clamp down on uninsured drivers. The scheme brings together motor lenders and police to reclaim illegal cars, rather than having the vehicles scrapped.  Earlier this year, HPI extended its CrushWatch service to also alert motor finance lenders to vehicles impounded by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) for being driven without Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). This means finance companies can decide whether to recover the vehicle for selling on to recoup bad debt, or allow it to be destroyed, in turn helping to keep the cost of finance affordable for law-abiding motorists.

“44 of the UK’s 52 police forces now actively use HPI CrushWatch, illustrating its effectiveness in the clampdown against insurance and tax evaders, but the sheer size of the Metropolitan Police makes this a significant partnership for HPI CrushWatch,”  continues Burgess.  “HPI CrushWatch is playing a key role in the Met’s ongoing clampdown on uninsured and untaxed vehicles, helping to improve the safety of Britain’s roads and putting finance houses back in control of their assets.”