Number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads increases for a third year

It is estimated that one in 12 vehicles are being driven without insurance

Compensating victims of uninsured drivers adds approximately €30 to €35 to the average motor insurance policy each year.

The number of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads grew for the third year in a row, according to new research.

The analysis by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) found the total number of private vehicles driving without insurance reached 187,803, an increase of 13,626 over the 2021 figure.

The MIBI undertakes this research by comparing the number of private motor vehicle owners paying motor taxes with the number of vehicles that have active insurance policies.

MIBI, which was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles, said the data shows that uninsured vehicles accounted for 8.3% of the entire fleet of private vehicles on Irish roads.

Every motor insurer in Ireland pays into the fund and MIBI estimates that compensating victims of uninsured drivers adds around €30-€35 to the average motor insurance policy each year.

“Clearly not enough is being done to discourage uninsured driving in this country,” said MIBI chief executive David Fitzgerald. “Within the last two years, the number of private vehicles being driven illegally without insurance has grown by more than 32,000. That is a really, really significant increase and should be a cause of concern to anyone who is interested in the rule of law and the safety of Irish roads.”

MIBI said a solution would be for An Garda Síochána to use the new centralised Irish motor insurance database system through its automatic number plate recognition systems.

“This will allow uninsured drivers to be simply and quickly identified without having to even be stopped and pulled over,” said MIBI. “It enables gardaí to check vehicles on the road without even leaving their cars. They can also use their mobility devices to quickly check the insurance status of vehicles and drivers, thus speeding up the validation process in frontline operations.”

MIBI said the legislation required to enable the utilisation of the system is still working its way through the Oireachtas. “It would seem we still have some distance to travel before the country really clamps down on the problem of uninsured driving,” said Mr Fitzgerald.