30% of motor insurance claims involve hit-and-run drivers

Hit-and-run drivers account for about 30% of the total claims handled by the Motor Insurers Bureau of Ireland.

According to the body, which is funded by a levy motorists pay on their insurance premiums, that amounted to more than 760 incidents.

While the cost to insurance companies is between €15 million and €25 million, it adds an estimated €10 onto the insurance premiums motorists pay.

However, for yet another year, uninsured drivers accounted for around 70% of the claims received by the MIBI in 2019.

This amounted to 1,787 claims, which is just one less than in 2018, and because of them, motorists pay an additional premium of between €35 and €40.

The highest number of overall claims in 2019 came from Dublin - 1,172.

There were 200 from Cork, 137 from Limerick and 108 from Louth.

The county with the highest percentage increase in claims was Kilkenny, which recorded a 62% jump.

MIBI CEO David Fitzgerald said: “Looking at the numbers it is clear there has been very little change in the level of claims received by the MIBI over the course of the past two years.

“It is particularly concerning there has been no movement on the number of claims relating to uninsured vehicles, which suggests there continues to be a substantial number of uninsured vehicles driving on Irish roads.”

One of the reasons figures have remained virtually the same is believed to be the fact that more than 40% of motorists convicted of driving without insurance escape driving bans.

It is believed the fact that little more than 5% of the estimated 151,000-plus uninsured drivers here ever even get convicted is also a factor.

However, MIBI says the latest figures for the number of claims involving uninsured drivers is all the more reason for the national rollout of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

An initial introductory phase is expected to be further expanded in the coming months. This will make it very difficult for uninsured vehicles to be driven without being detected.

David Fitzgerald said: “The MIBI hopes the rollout of the new automatic number plate recognition system will make it easier and more simple for the Gardaí to identify uninsured drivers. Uninsured driving is illegal and represents a real threat to Irish road safety."

Anyone caught driving without insurance can have their vehicle seized on the spot and will face a mandatory court appearance, a heavy fine and five points on their licence.

Uninsured drivers are not the only reason for levies or levy-like costs being loaded onto motorists’ premiums.

Some are more legacy-related and one is from the State-operated Insurance Compensation Fund (ICF) levy of 2% to cover the €1.65 billion cost of the Quinn Insurance collapse. This costs motorists about €30-a-year and because this generates little more than €60 million annually, it will be in place for decades.

Figures from the MIBI show that the level of uninsured driving in Ireland was at around 7.4% as of November 2017. The total amount that covers the costs of claims involving uninsured drivers is estimated to be about €50 million. The cost of claims involving hit-and-run drivers is between €15 million and €25 million.