MIBI RECEIVES OVER 10K UNINSURED CLAIMS OVER LAST 5

Law abiding motorists will have provided €150 – €175 over last 5 years to cover these claims Per capita most claims in Dublin, Louth and Limerick

The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has received over 10k claims relating to accidents caused by uninsured and untraced driving over the last 5 years. Over the period from 2018 to 2022 a total of 10,376 such claims were submitted to the bureau.

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 law abiding motorists. Over the 5 year period the average motorist will have contributed between €150 – €175 to cover these costs through their motor insurance policies. 

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. 

The five year figures reveal 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 again, with the 1,739 received by the MIBI, representing a 17% increase on the 2021 numbers. 

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.

Looking at the county figures for the most recent year, the number of claims received 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%). 

*Numbers rounded to nearest full percent

Speaking about the claims figures, MIBI Chief Executive David Fitzgerald said, “As these figures highlight, there have been more than 10,000 accidents over the last 5 years where a vehicle without insurance was responsible. The reality is that the cost of these accidents is borne by law abiding motorists, who effectively have to subsidize these claims every time they renew their motor insurance. That means over the last 5 years the average motorist has provided an extra €150 – €175 to cover the cost of accidents caused by uninsured and untraced driving.

“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.