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In this previous year, there has been a total of 187,803 private vehicles driving without insurance in Ireland, this is an increase of 13,626 since 2021. According to recent figures released by the MIBI (Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland) it shows that uninsured private vehicles now take up for 8.3% of the entire total of private vehicles on Irish roads. This means there are 1 in every 12 vehicles breaking the law and driving without insurance. The MIBI have said since 2020, the number of uninsured vehicles on the road has grown by 32,000.

To see the full report and figures from the MIBI submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications you can click here.

What will happen if you are caught without insurance?

If you are caught driving a vehicle that is not insured, you could get your vehicle seized, as well as five penalty points, automatic court appearance and a significant fine. “Clearly not enough is being done to discourage uninsured driving in this country,” said David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI.

“The most obvious solution to all this is also easily within reach, in the form of the new Irish Motor Insurance Database system being fully adopted and data used by An Garda Síochána in their Automatic Number Plate Recognition systems and new garda mobility devices,” he said.

He added that this would allow uninsured drivers to be simply and quickly identified without having to even be stopped and pulled over. This would speed checks up and allow gardai to verify vehicles on the road without even leaving their cars.

David Fitzgerald also said the level of uninsured drivers is very high by European standards, adding that the majority of uninsured drivers are males aged 18 to 30.

Ireland compared to the EU and UK

Further news states that Ireland has 3 times the number of uninsured vehicles as the UK and 4 times the EU/EEA average.

Of the 29 countries across the EU and EEA (as well as the UK and Switzerland) where data was available, the average level of uninsured vehicles was 1.8%. This means that Ireland had 4.3 times the average level of uninsured vehicles across the EU/ EEA compared to 2021.

David Fitzgerald stated ahead of his appearance at the Joint Oireachtas Committee “For Ireland to potentially be the worst country in the EU for uninsured vehicles should make everyone in this country concerned about the rule of law and road safety sit up and take notice. That is a startingly high figure, and it shows how much of a problem uninsured driving has become in this country.

“Despite what some people might suggest, driving without insurance is not a victimless crime. It makes our roads less safe and more dangerous. Every year the MIBI pays out in the region of €70m in compensation to victims of accidents caused by uninsured drivers. In 2021, the average cost of each claim paid to the victim of an uninsured driver came to €78,736”.

To find out more information you can visit: IRELAND MAY NOW HAVE HIGHEST LEVEL OF UNINSURED VEHICLES IN EU – MIBI and also NUMBER OF UNINSURED VEHICLES ON IRISH ROADS INCREASES FOR 3RD YEAR IN A ROW (mibi.ie).