REVEALED: Large number of uninsured claims submitted in Carlow over past five years

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has received 101 claims relating to accidents caused by uninsured and untraced driving in Carlow over the last five years. Nationally there were over 10,000 claims submitted to the MIBI during this period. 

As the MIBI is a not for profit organisation that was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles, effectively the expense of meeting these claims is borne by the law abiding motorists of Waterford and the rest of the country. Over the five year period the average motorist will have contributed between €150 - €175 to cover these costs through their motor insurance policies. 

The figures rose in Carlow by 33% in 2022, up from 15 in 2021 to 20 in 2022. 

On a county by county basis, over the last 5 years the highest total number of claims received were in Dublin (4,605), Cork (819) and Limerick (617). However, using the Census 2022 data, the most claims per capita were in Dublin, Louth and Limerick.

The five year figures also show that the number of claims dropped over the course of the pandemic when fewer vehicles, including uninsured vehicles, were on the roads.

However last year the number of claims relating to uninsured and untraced driving grew significantly once again, with the 1,739 received by the MIBI representing a 17% increase on the 2021 numbers. 

In 2022 there were a total of 21 claims in Offaly which was up by 24% on the comparison for 2021.

The figures for 2022 also show that the number of claims received by the MIBI grew in 22 of the 26 counties in the Republic. The largest percentage increases year on year were in Kilkenny (up 70%), Galway (up 59%) and Clare (up 52%). The greatest drop was in Mayo (down 21%), followed by Wexford (down 9%) and Westmeath (down 4%). 

Earlier this year the MIBI published research showing there were almost 188,000 uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads last year and that the Republic of Ireland may now have the highest level of uninsured vehicles in the EU. 

They also predicted that the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads could pass 200,000 in the next 12 – 18 months if “significant action” isn’t taken, especially the urgent enactment and full implementation of legislation that will give greater powers to Gardaí to identify uninsured vehicles. The relevant legislation is known as the Road Traffic and Roads Bill 2021. Although the uninsured vehicle figures were published in February, the relevant legislation has yet to advance any further in the Oireachtas.

If the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads continues to grow, the MIBI expects this will also lead to a further increase in the number of claims they receive. 

Speaking about the claims’ figures, MIBI Chief Executive David Fitzgerald said: “Unfortunately, as the number of uninsured vehicles grows, the number of claims relating to accidents caused by uninsured drivers also rise. With the level of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads potentially the highest in the EU, we need to do all we can to discourage people driving illegally without insurance. As the reduction in claims received by the MIBI over the course of the pandemic highlights, when there are fewer journeys undertaken by uninsured drivers the claims figures quickly drop. 

“That is why we are so keen to see the urgent enactment of the Road Traffic and Roads Bill and then its full implementation once it becomes law. That is a potential game changer in the battle against illegal uninsured driving as it will allow the Gardaí to check if the driver is insured just by scanning the licence plate number. It should then become extremely difficult for uninsured drivers to avoid detection. 

“However until the legislation is fully enacted and signed into law the full capabilities of that system are not available to law enforcement - increasing the risk of accidents occurring caused by uninsured drivers and leaving law abiding motorists footing the bill,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.