The number of claims relating to uninsured drivers has grown in 14 of the 26 counties across the Republic, including Carlow.
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland‘s figures show the number of claims from these accidents went up by 11% overall in 2023 when compared to the previous year.
Nine counties, including Kilkenny, recorded a drop in the number of claims, with the biggest falls in Leitrim, Offaly and Sligo.
Speaking about the level of claims received in 2023, David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI said, “This jump in claims due to accidents caused by uninsured vehicles should be a cause of concern for every law abiding motorist in the county. It is illegal to drive without valid motor insurance, yet as these figures show there are still a significant number of people who are willingly flouting the law”.
He adds; “Every one of the uninsured motorists behind these claims is effectively putting their hands in the pockets of law abiding motorists in Carlow and around the country and taking their money. As they broke the law and drove without insurance cover, it becomes the responsibility of the MIBI to handle the compensation associated with these claims. We are a not for profit organisation so our funding comes indirectly from drivers who pay their motor insurance. Essentially these uninsured drivers took millions of euro from the rest of us last year and added €30 to €35 to the average motor insurance policy.
Mr Fitzgerald also says “With the level of claims growing, it reaffirms the importance of the new law enforcement system to clamp down on uninsured driving. We are now providing the Gardaí with updated insurance information for 3 million vehicles on Irish roads on a daily basis”.
He notes too; “So if the Gardaí scan your registration number they’ll know in seconds if there is valid insurance in place or not. We’re on record saying our expectation is that this will be a gamechanger for law enforcement in dealing with the scourge of uninsured driving. We hope that as this new weapon begins to bite, it won’t be long before the number of uninsured claims we receive also begins to fall all around the country”.
“That will be good for road safety on local roads, Irish roads and also good for the pockets of law abiding motorists across the country,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.
