Uninsured drivers in Cork City more than double in 2024, gardaí report

It was estimated that there were roughly 190,000 uninsured vehicles on Irish roads in 2022.

The number of motorists caught driving without insurance in Cork City more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, new figures show.

According to data from the Gardaí, there were 267 drivers caught without insurance in the second quarter of 2024 in the Cork City area. This is significantly up on the second quarter of 2023 when 128 motorists were detected.

Increases are also reported in Cork county, with 163 drivers caught without insurance in Q2 2024, which is up from 86 during the same period of 2023.

The worst Garda district for motorists driving without insurance was Galway, with the county seeing a 199% rise between Q2 2023 and Q2 2024. In total, there were 287 drivers found without insurance in Q2 2024, up from the 96 drivers caught during the same period the year before.

Driving a vehicle without insurance is a roads offence and it attracts punishments such as fines, five penalty points, the vehicle being seized and potential court summons. The fine can be as high as €5,000 for failing to have an insured car.

It was estimated that there were roughly 190,000 uninsured vehicles on Irish roads in 2022.

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Elsewhere in Munster, there were 110 people caught driving without insurance in Kerry in the second quarter of 2024, which was up on 51 from the previous year.

In Limerick, the increase was 83% compared to Q2 2023, with 265 being caught in the middle of 2024.

Ireland South MEP for Fianna Fáil, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, described the figures as “shocking” and questioned if the rise in drivers without insurance is due to the costs associated.

Ms Ní Mhurchú said: "It appears likely there is a correlation between the excessive cost of car insurance in Ireland and the spike in motorists driving without insurance.

“That in no way justifies a motorist driving without insurance and uninsured drivers involved in accidents only serves to further increase the average cost of premiums.

The cost of car insurance has risen by over 11% in a year according to CSO figures, well above and beyond the level of inflation.

The Fianna Fáil MEP said she would be raising the issue at the European Parliament’s Transport Committee. She added that she would lobby for further government action to enact the Action Plan for Insurance Reform.

A system was established in 2024 that allowed gardaí to check motorists' insurance, with automatic number plate recognition systems. A Garda smartphone app was also introduced that allowed gardaí to check a vehicle’s insurance status, NCT and car tax while in motion.

In late 2024, the Central Bank said the average cost of car insurance premiums had risen to €568 per year. This was a 2% increase between 2022 and 2023.

“The increase in motor insurance premiums captured in this report is for the year 2023. They have been steadily rising throughout 2024 too, with the latest figures from the CSO showing motor insurance premiums have risen at 15 times the rate of inflation,” Paul Walsh of People Insurance said at the time.