Uninsured drivers cost Cavan motorists €150-€175

Cavan motorists are typically forking out an additional €150-€175 on their insurance policies to cover claims associated with uninsured drivers with experts warning prices could rise further.

There were 155 claims relating to accidents caused by uninsured and untraced drivers in County Cavan over the last five years, according to the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

Nationally there were over 10,000 claims submitted to the MIBI during this period. The most claims per capita were in Dublin, Louth and Limerick, based on data from the 2022 Census.

The 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 but have now returned to pre-pandemic levels and are growing.

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, meaning the cost of claims and insurance will also rise.

MIBI Chief Executive David Fitzgerald said: “The cost of these accidents is borne by law abiding motorists of Cavan and the rest of the country, who effectively have to subsidise these claims every time they renew their motor insurance.

“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.”

He also urged the government to help Gardaí detect uninsured drivers by enacting and implementing the Road Traffic and Roads Bill.

“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,” said Mr Fitzgerald.