Over 1 million vehicle checks, supported by enhanced driver data, conducted by An Garda Síochána in first 3 months of 2026
- Represents 17.5% increase in number of vehicle lookups carried out compared to same period last year.
- More than 5k vehicles detained and 6.5k charges and summons issued for no insurance in Q1 2026.
- Data Driven Road Safety Seminar focuses on positive impact of expanded access to driver licence data for An Garda Síochána policing Irish roads.
- Seminar, organised by Insurance Ireland and MIBI, sees senior leaders from insurance, policing, and transport gather to discuss key issues facing industry.
- Minister of State Seán Canney TD and Deputy Garda Commissioner Shawna Coxon to deliver keynote addresses to attendees.
07 May 2026: An Garda Síochána conducted more than 1 million vehicle lookups in the first 3 months of 2026, a 17.5% increase on the number of checks that took place during the same period last year. Between January and March, the Gardaí used technology, which now includes enhanced driver data, to check 1,072,349 vehicles. This compares to 917,487 checks which took place during that period in 2025.
During the same three-month period, a total of 5,028 vehicles have been detained for no insurance, up by 4.1% on the same timeframe in 2025, while 6,542 charges and summons have been issued for no insurance, up by 2.4%.
The new figures come as part of a Data Driven Road Safety Seminar, organised by Insurance Ireland and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI), held in The Gibson Hotel in Dublin this morning, Friday, May 8th. The seminar will gather leaders from the motor insurance sector, Government, An Garda Síochána and road safety organisations to examine how improved data-sharing and collaboration can strengthen enforcement, reduce uninsured driving and enhance road safety outcomes nationwide.
Attendees will hear how enhanced data capabilities are being used in frontline policing and enforcement, utilising the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID), an information tool managed by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) which enables Gardaí to check in seconds the insurance status of the vehicle and its driver.
Progress achieved to date will be outlined during the event, and with discussion on how data-led approaches can be further embedded within Ireland’s wider road safety ecosystem. This will include the potential introduction of Continuous Vehicle Coverage (CVC), a system which requires insurance to be tied to vehicle ownership, as opposed to the current situation where an offence only occurs if an uninsured driver is caught driving a vehicle on Irish roads. Such a system is widely used across Europe and would move the focus of enforcement around uninsured vehicles from being policing led, to administration led.
The seminar will also explore innovation in policing, insights from the Road Safety Authority, and the evolving role of insurers and enforcement agencies in supporting safer roads through collaboration and technology.
In recent years, An Garda Síochána has rolled out greater Active Mobility Apps across their workforce, enabling members to have real-time, at scene access to critical information regardless of their location. The use of apps also allows members to complete road safety checks with access to key vehicle and driver information from the Department of Transport, MIBI and An Garda Síochána’s own PULSE system.
This can, where necessary, lead to the immediate issue of a penalty designed to change the illegal behaviour of the driver. This is proving to have fostered greater efficiencies within policing bodies working to protect Irish road users nationwide.
The seminar will see keynote addresses delivered by Minister of State with responsibility for International and Road Transport, Logistics, Rail and Ports at the Department of Transport Seán Canney T.D., as well as Deputy Garda Commissioner Shawna Coxon. The seminar will also feature contributions from industry leaders, including Moyagh Murdock, CEO of Insurance Ireland, David Fitzgerald, CEO of MIBI, and Velma Burns, Research Manager at the Road Safety Authority (RSA) among others.
Speaking ahead of the Seminar, Minister of State Seán Canney, TD said: “Improving road safety requires strong collaboration across government, enforcement agencies and industry. One recent example of such collaboration is the publication of the National Safety Camera Strategy, which sets out a partnership approach for camera deployment and enforcement between An Garda Síochána, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA). The strategy provides the framework for the increased deployment of cameras across the road network to assist with the enforcement of a wide range of road traffic offences. The use of high‑quality data and modern technology is central to supporting effective enforcement, reducing uninsured driving and protecting all road users. I very much welcome this seminar and the continued progress being made through initiatives such as the Irish Motor Insurance Database.”
Commenting on the work by An Gárda Síochána, Deputy Garda Commissioner Shawna Coxon added: “Data‑driven policing plays an increasingly important role in keeping our roads safe. Improved access to insurance and driver licence data greatly enhances our ability to target uninsured driving and support frontline Gardaí in their enforcement work. Continued collaboration with partners such as MIBI, Insurance Ireland and the Road Safety Authority is vital to delivering better outcomes for road safety across the State.”
Commenting ahead of the seminar, Anthony Brennan, CEO of Zurich Ireland said: “The insurance industry in Ireland has invested in a proactive, long-term approach to find practical ways to cut down on uninsured driving, using data to guide its solutions. The IMID system is now working well and shows how useful a data-driven approach can be, helping to catch more and more uninsured drivers. It also helps An Garda Síochána, makes our roads safer, and will reduce the extra costs that insured drivers currently pay because of uninsured drivers. However, the rate of uninsured driving in Ireland is still too high at 6.5%, well above the EU average, so clearly more needs to be done.
“We strongly support bringing in Continuous Vehicle Coverage (CVC). CVC is widely used across Europe and would significantly reduce uninsured driving in Ireland. It would make it easier for people to follow the law and lighten the workload for the Gardaí. Instead of focusing only on catching uninsured drivers, CVC uses multiple existing data sources – including IMID – to prevent uninsured driving before it happens so will make our roads safer. If we want to make real progress, improve road safety, and lower costs for insured drivers, we need to keep investing in technology and data like IMID and CVC is clearly the best way forward for Irish motorists.”
Moyagh Murdock, CEO of Insurance Ireland, said: “Cross-industry collaboration is driving effective change across Irish roads, with new access to driver licence data enabling Gardaí to promptly act during vehicle checks and roadside incidences. This is making Irish roads safer, with Gardaí easily able to access information on vehicle registrations and insurance status. The impact that this change is having is very positive and it is a blueprint for further industry engagement in the future.”
David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI, said: “The latest research shows there were more than 211,000 uninsured or unregistered vehicles on Irish roads last year. That is a considerable number, proportionately one of the highest in Europe. It is a major challenge for An Garda Síochána with their finite resources to address such high levels of illegal activity. We need to be smart in how we use technology and data. That is what Continuous Vehicle Coverage (CVC) offers, as has been proven across Europe. If we want to make Irish roads safer and ensure better compliance, while also reducing the level of burden being placed on the Gardaí, CVC seems like the obvious solution.”