2,540 claims on uninsured drivers: Cover cheats’ bill €75m a year

Car insurance is one of those obligations most of us accept so society can proceed on something like an even keel. It is one of those costs we recognise as a necessary imposition even if it can be almost impossibly expensive for young people trying to get a toehold in the grown-up world. Nevertheless, it should be possible for anyone using our roads to hope that anyone obliged to have insurance has insurance and that they are not involved in a kind of motorway Russian roulette. That, however, as we all know is not the reality. Just as a good number of drivers drive while disqualified, a good number of divers drive illegally without insurance cover.

That was underlined yesterday by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau when it reported that uninsured vehicles accounted for over 70% of MIBI claims last year. MIBI was established in 1955 to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured or unidentified vehicles. All insurers underwriting motor insurance in Ireland are required to be members of the MIBI so the costs are, ultimately, borne by drivers who take out insurance. The MIBI dealt with 2,540 claims last year and though accounts are not finalised a bill of around €75m is expected, a substantial levy on those who take out insurance.