Issue 15 - Autumn 2020
It will come as a surprise to many to learn that one in every thirteen private vehicles currently on the roads in the Republic of Ireland is an uninsured vehicle. That’s the startling figure revealed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).
In an analysis conducted by the organisation it was also revealed that by the end of last year there were 164,773 uninsured private vehicles on our road network. This was an increase of over 13,800 uninsured vehicles from 2018, when there were 150,910 private vehicles that did not have insurance.
More uninsured vehicles increase the likelihood of greater uninsured claims, an issue which is of concern to the MIBI and which also impacts on all those who hold motor insurance policies.
The purpose of the MIBI is to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles. The average costs involved in a personal injury claim relating to an accident involving an uninsured vehicle exceed €50,000. Last year the MIBI paid out approximately €71 million in claims, funding which is provided by all the motor insurance providers operating in the Republic of Ireland and ultimately by the premiums paid by all insured motorists.
“A jump of almost 14,000 uninsured vehicles in a single year is a statistic that should worry every single Irish road user..."
“These latest numbers show the problem of uninsured driving has grown significantly over the last few years,” said David Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the MIBI. “A jump of almost 14,000 uninsured vehicles in a single year is a statistic that should worry every single Irish road user. Uninsured drivers are a threat to road safety for the law abiding majority of private vehicle drivers, making Irish roads less safe and a lot more hazardous. They also contribute to the costs of driving facing every law abiding motorist.”
While all vehicles operating on Irish roads are legally required to hold valid motor insurance, the uninsured vehicle figures indicate that a substantial and growing number are breaking this law. This is despite the strident penalties that already exist for uninsured drivers.
Failure to have motor insurance or driving without insurance in Ireland is punishable by:
In the case of any accidents involving uninsured drivers, the MIBI will also pursue the driver for costs under their right to recovery.
Of course, uninsured drivers can only be punished if they are first identified and this has proved to be quite difficult in the past. One development which could be a game-changer in the battle against uninsured driving is Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). This allows the police to see if a vehicle is being driven without insurance simply by scanning the licence plate. Such technology has been successfully used in other countries such as the UK, where the two millionth uninsured vehicle was seized by UK Police earlier this year.
In Ireland, ANPR was introduced on an initial basis in Garda road policing vehicles in late 2019 and continues to operate across the country. It will be further rolled out in Q4 to thousands of handheld devices used by the Gardaí. “Anecdotally the system seems to already be making a tremendous impact, based on the feedback provided by An Garda Síochána,” David Fitzgerald added. “The MIBI is keen for this project to advance and expand.”
The database underlying ANPR in Ireland is called the Motor Third Party Liability (MTPL) and a project management board including the MIBI, Insurance Ireland, the Department of Justice, the Department of Transport and An Garda Síochána are involved in progressing the project. The development of this underlying database itself is a complex process which will see several distinct phases of activity as the database evolves.
The first step became operational in autumn 2019, allowing for the identification of uninsured vehicles by contrasting relevant data against an insured vehicle file, which is provided to the Gardaí on a daily basis. The next step of the process will see more details included, such as the name and address of the motor insurance policy holder, the period of cover and other named drivers covered by the policy. This phase covers all private and small commercial vehicles which represent approximately 92% of the national fleet. This stage is already in use in the MIBI and will be fully implemented with the Department of Transport and the Gardaí pending the enactment of upcoming legislation.
Further stages will see the database expanded to take into account the remaining large fleet and motor trader policies, and then in time additional data fields will also be included such as date of birth and driver number.
“Not only will the Gardaí be able to simply identify uninsured vehicles, the system will tell them so much more. As we’ve seen in other countries this will act as a very effective means of tightening the net on uninsured drivers."
“When you look at how much will be covered under ANPR and MTPL you can get a real sense of what it will add to the armoury in the battle against uninsured driving,” Mr. Fitzgerald added. “Not only will the Gardaí be able to simply identify uninsured vehicles, the system will tell them so much more. As we’ve seen in other countries this will act as a very effective means of tightening the net on uninsured drivers. More importantly it will also act as a strong deterrent to those who might be considering driving without insurance.”
“This is particularly important given the financial uncertainty facing the country as we emerge from the pandemic. Historically there have been correlations between levels of economic difficulty and the number of uninsured drivers on the roads.
“Motor insurance is not an ‘optional’ element, it is an absolute requirement for anyone driving on Irish roads. It is a legal obligation for a reason.
“If anyone is reckless enough to try to drive without insurance, ANPR dramatically increases the capability to identify and catch them. ANPR stacks the odds against those uninsured drivers who are willing to roll the dice in this dangerous game. Those odds will become shorter and shorter as the system becomes even more comprehensive in the months ahead,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.
