Uninsured vehicles on Irish roads increase for third year in a row

Kenneth Fox

The number of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads grew for the 3rd year in a row, according to new research carried out by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

Last year the total number of private vehicles driving without insurance reached 187,803. This was an increase of 13,626 over the 2021 figure.

The data shows that uninsured vehicles accounted for 8.3 per cent of the entire fleet of private vehicles on Irish roads.

This means that one in every 12 vehicles was breaking the law and driving without insurance last year.

Since 2020, there are now more than 32,000 additional uninsured vehicles on Irish roads.

Under Irish law, the penalties for vehicles found without valid insurance include An Garda Síochána having the power to seize the vehicle on the spot, as well as other significant penalties such as an automatic court appearance, five penalty points and a substantial fine.

The MIBI undertakes this research by contrasting the number of private motor vehicle owners paying motor taxes with the number of vehicles who have active insurance policies.

They are non-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: “Clearly not enough is being done to discourage uninsured driving in this country.

“Every single time a person drives a vehicle without insurance they are breaking the law. Yet the number of uninsured vehicles continues to rise.

"Within the last 2 years the number of private vehicles being driven illegally without insurance has grown by more than 32,000. That is a really, really significant increase and should be a cause of concern to anyone who is interested in the rule of law and the safety of Irish roads.

“Law abiding motorists won’t be happy to see these figures and to look at the growing trend of uninsured driving. If the current trend were to continue then we are likely to pass 200,000 uninsured vehicles in the next 12 – 18 months unless significant action is taken."