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Irish Times
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Number of private motorists without insurance almost halves in two years
The number of private motorists driving without insurance has almost halved over the last two years, with much of the decline attributed to the new Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) system making it harder for people to evade detection. However, it is a different story when it comes to commercial vehicles, with more than one in six found to be in breach of motor insurance laws last year, according to research from the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI). It recorded 101,881 uninsured private vehicles within the overall 2.4 million private vehicles being driven on Irish roads in 2024. In 2022 the number of uninsured private vehicles stood at 187,803 within an overall private vehicle total of 2.25 million. The 2024 figure represents about 4.2 per cent of all private vehicles, which points to a fall of close to 50 per cent since the last time the MIBI carried out research in 2022. READ MORE Following the development of the IMID, the MIBI has been able to examine the number of uninsured non-private motor vehicles, broadly categorised as 'commercial vehicles', through the availability of enhanced insurance data. Within the commercial vehicles category, there are generally two different means by which insurance is provided: on an individualised basis with specific vehicles tied to each policy or on fleet or motor trade policies, which allow the cover to be transferred from one vehicle to another within a specific group of vehicles. Since November 2023, fleet and motor trade policy holders who do not provide the required information to the NFD are committing an offence and are liable to be prosecuted and subjected to fines of up to €500 per vehicle. The MIBI estimates about 425,000 fleet and motor trade vehicles should be listed on the National Fleet Database. So far, the details for 364,889 have been provided. The MIBI's analysis shows that within the combined commercial vehicles category, there are 710,708 vehicles on Irish roads and 108,671 of those vehicles are either uninsured or have not yet been added to the NFD. This means 15.3 per cent of commercial vehicles or more than one in six are breaking motor insurance laws. The chief executive of the MIBI, David Fitzgerald, said it was 'very encouraging to see the impact that the new detection system is already having on the number of private uninsured vehicles on our roads'. He said it is 'a powerful weapon in the battle against uninsured driving'. Following the introduction of this system, gardaí were able to seize 18,676 vehicles in 2024 and issue 26,094 summonses and charges. 'This system allows gardaí to see in seconds if a vehicle is uninsured or has not been added to the database, allowing them to act quickly in apprehending any offenders,' Mr Fitzgerald said. However, he said there is 'clearly additional work to do to combat illegal uninsured driving'.
BreakingNews.ie
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- BreakingNews.ie
Number of uninsured vehicles on roads drops after new detection system, analysis shows
The share of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads has almost halved following the introduction of a new database system, analysis shows. According to research conducted by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), uninsured vehicles represented 4.2 per cent of the overall private fleet across the Republic last year, compared to 8.3 per cent in 2022. Advertisement In 2024 the MIBI found there were a total of 101,881 uninsured private vehicles within the overall total of 2.4 million. By comparison, in 2022 the number of uninsured private vehicles stood at 187,803 out of a total of 2.25 million. This also means the number of uninsured private vehicles dropped from one in every 12 in 2022, to one in every 25 last year. The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) system is managed by MIBI to provide legal authorities with the insurance details for all vehicles on Irish roads. The MIBI is a not-for-profit organisation that was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles. David Fitzgerald, chief executive of the MIBI, said it was encouraging to see the impact the new detection system was having on the number of uninsured drivers. Advertisement "The number of uninsured private vehicles has practically halved, which is good news for all road users and anyone concerned about Irish road safety," Mr Fitzgerald said. "From early in its development, we believed IMID would represent a powerful weapon in the battle against uninsured driving and we can now see that theory being turned into reality. "Following the introduction of this system, last year Gardaí were able to seize 18,676 vehicles in 2024 and issue a further 26,094 summons and charges. This system allows Gardaí to see in seconds if a vehicle is uninsured or has not been added to the database, allowing them to act quickly in apprehending any offenders." The analysis also looked at the number of uninsured "commercial vehicles" through the availability of enhanced insurance data. Advertisement The details for these vehicles are legally required to be added to the national fleet database. The MIBI estimates around 425,000 fleet and motor trade vehicles should be listed on the database, but that so far details for just 364,889 have been provided. Ireland Driver number requirement for car insurance takes... Read More Mr Fitzgerald said there was still work to do to combat illegal uninsured driving. "This is particularly apparent in the data for commercial vehicles, where we see a higher proportion of vehicles that are either uninsured or not uploaded to the National Fleet Database by their fleet owners or motor traders. "The fleet data is now being used by Gardaí across the frontlines and given the high number of fleet or other commercial vehicles which are not fulfilling their legal motor insurance obligations we anticipate there is likely to be a significant number of offenders identified and apprehended. "Given these developments, we would encourage any fleet owners or motor traders who have yet to add all their vehicle details to the database to act now. Otherwise they can expect to have their vehicles stopped and potentially seized by the Gardaí in the months ahead."
RTÉ News
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- RTÉ News
Number of uninsured drivers on roads drops, according to IMID research
The percentage of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads has almost halved following the introduction of the new Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) system, which is aimed at assisting gardaí to easily detect uninsured drivers. According to research conducted by the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), last year there were 101,881 uninsured private vehicles being driven. This figure accounted for 4.2% of all private vehicles on Irish roads, and represented a near 50% fall on 2022, which was the last time such research was carried out. This means the number of uninsured private vehicles has dropped from one in every 12 in 2022, to one in every 25 last year. Based on the 2022 MIBI research there were around 187,000 uninsured vehicles on Irish roads, which was four times higher than the EU average. The MIBI estimates that claims involving uninsured drivers add up to €35 to the cost of motor insurance policies. The IMID came into operation for the first time last year. The data contained in the database includes policy holder details, vehicles registration numbers and names of drivers that are permitted to driver the vehicles that are covered by each policy. This information is provided by motor insurers, brokers, fleet owners and motor traders, and is shared with the Department of Transport and An Garda Síochána. Also included are the driver numbers of every insured driver. Following the development of the IMID, for the first time the MIBI has been able to examine the number of uninsured commercial vehicles. The details for these vehicles are legally required to be added to the national fleet database. The MIBI estimates around 425,000 fleet and motor trade vehicles should be listed on the database, but that so far details for just 364,889 have been provided. Commenting on the figures, MIBI Chief Executive David Fitzgerald said: "It is very encouraging to see the impact that the new detection system is already having on the number of private uninsured vehicles on our roads. "From early in its development, we believed IMID would represent a powerful weapon in the battle against uninsured driving and we can now see that theory being turned into reality. "Following the introduction of this system, last year Gardaí were able to seize 18,676 vehicles in 2024 and issue a further 26,094 summons and charges. "This system allows Gardaí to see in seconds if a vehicle is uninsured or has not been added to the database, allowing them to act quickly in apprehending any offenders." Public consulation Meanwhile, the Government has launched a public consultation on insurance reform. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to develop a new action plan for insurance reform, with a focus on encouraging further competition in the market and working with stakeholders to enhance transparency and affordability across all types of insurance. The consultation will be open to submissions for three weeks. The Government said it is particularly keen to hear from consumers, representative groups, and those operating in the insurance industry. The last programme of insurance reform saw the introduction of the judicial guidelines, reforms of the Injuries Resolution Board, supporting the development of a Garda Insurance Fraud Coordination Office, and passing legislation in July 2023 revising the duty of care owed by occupiers. The Alliance for Insurance Reform welcomed the latest public consultation, however, its Chief Executive Brian Hanley said that given the previous reforms, "it must be a source of growing frustration for politicians, as it is to policyholders, that the reforms to date have primarily benefited insurance company profit margins, rather than reducing the premiums people pay". He added that "the Alliance will be making a detailed submission and we encourage others to do likewise. Priorities must include attracting new entrants into the liability market as well as facilitating greater settlement volumes at the Injuries Resolution Board." He also said that it is "vital" that the Government does not "undermine past achievements and future reform objectives by increasing personal injury awards by 17%, as is currently being considered. Such a step would reduce settlement volumes at the Injuries Board and inevitably lead to increased premiums".
Irish Independent
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Independent
Massive drop in number of motorists driving without insurance following database introduction
It comes after the recent introduction of the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID), which allows gardaí at checkpoints to identify any uninsured vehicles within seconds through their hand-held mobile devices or via automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems. This is being credited with a fall of 86,000 in the number of uninsured private vehicles on the roads over the past two years. Traditionally, this country has had the highest level of uninsured vehicles in the European Union. In the past, the rate has been three times that of the UK and four times the average across the European Union and the European Economic Area. But the new roadside detection system used by gardaí has seen the numbers taking the risk of driving without insurance plummet. The database was created following collaboration between the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), Insurance Ireland and Irish-based insurers. Figures compiled by the MIBI show that the number of uninsured drivers on the roads has fallen from 188,000 in 2022 to 102,000 last year – a fall of almost 86,000 in the two-year period. In percentage terms, the current number of uninsured vehicles represents 4.2pc of the overall private fleet in the State. This is down from 8.3pc in 2022, a 50pc reduction, the MIBI said. This also means the number of uninsured private vehicles has dropped from one in every 12 in 2022, to one in every 25 last year. Advanced work on the motor insurance database has allowed the MIBI to look at the number of commercial vehicles on the road. They can be insured on an individualised basis, with specific vehicles tied to each policy. We can now see that theory being turned into reality Or they can use fleet or motor trade policies, where the insurer allows for the motor insurance to be transferred from one vehicle to another within a specific group of vehicles. The details for these vehicles are required by law to be added to the National Fleet Database (NFD), which is a dedicated subsection of the motor insurance database. MIBI said since November 2023, fleet and motor trade policy-holders who do not provide the required information to the fleet database are committing an offence. They are liable to be prosecuted and subjected to fines of up to €500 per vehicle. The MIBI estimates approximately 425,000 fleet and motor trade vehicles should be listed on the NFD. So far, the details for 364,889 have been provided. The MIBI's analysis shows as many as 109,000 commercial vehicles are either uninsured or have not yet been added to the national fleet database. Chief executive of the MIBI, David Fitzgerald said it is encouraging to see the impact that the new detection system is already having on the number of private uninsured vehicles on our roads. 'Following its introduction, the number of uninsured private vehicles has practically halved, which is good news for all road users and anyone concerned about Irish road safety,' Mr Fitzgerald said. He said the MIBI view was that the motor insurance database will represent a powerful weapon in the battle against uninsured driving. 'We can now see that theory being turned into reality,' he said. Uninsured drivers add between €30 and €35 to each compliant driver's annual insurance premium. The MIBI was set up by insurers to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles.
The Irish Sun
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
‘Very encouraging' – Steep drop in uninsured drivers on Irish roads after Gardai roll out rapid cover checker
THE number of uninsured drivers on our roads has halved since a new database was introduced. The Irish Motor Insurance Database, set up in 2024, is aimed at helping Uninsured private cars made up roughly 8.3 per cent of road users in 2022, according to Motor Insurers' Bureau of But last year, the group recorded the number had dropped to 4.2 per cent of the overall fleet. Out of 2.4million drivers in 2024, 101,881 were uninsured. It means that the number of uninsured drivers has dropped from one in every 12 to one in every 25. READ MORE IN IRISH NEWS MIBI chief David Fitzgerald said the changes since IMID was brought in are 'very encouraging'. He added: 'Following its introduction, the number of uninsured private vehicles has practically halved, which is good news for anyone concerned about Irish 'Gardai were able to seize 18,676 vehicles in 2024 and issue a further 26,094 summons and charges. 'This system allows gardai to see in seconds if a vehicle is uninsured, allowing them to act quickly in apprehending offenders.' Most read in Motors 1 David Fitzgerald said the new numbers are 'very encouraging'
