LIMERICK had the third-highest number of insurance claims nationally relating to accidents caused by uninsured drivers, new figures show.
Statistics from the Motor Insurer’s Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) for 2023 show that Limerick ranked highly in the national figures, with the Bureau saying that uninsured drivers are “putting the hands in pockets of law abiding motorists”.
The figures showed that Limerick had 112 claims due to uninsured drivers in 2023, coming in as part of an overall 11 per cent increase of claims due to uninsured drivers nationwide.
Despite registering a high number of uninsured claims, Limerick’s figures actually dropped by eight per cent compared to 2022, when 122 claims were recorded.
The MIBI claimed that the average motorist will have contributed between €30 and €35 of their most recent insurance renewal to cover claims handled by the MIBI.
The Bureau was established to compensate victims of road traffic accidents where a driver was uninsured or could not be traced.
Dublin had the highest amount of claims due to uninsured drivers with 822, followed by Cork (141), Limerick (112), Kildare (102), and Galway (91).
The MIBI says the figures “reaffirm the importance of the new law enforcement system to clamp down on uninsured driving”.
Since signing a data sharing agreement last November, the MIBI are providing AnGarda Síochána with the insurance details of over three million cars on Irish roads, meaning that the insurance details of any car can now be checked by running its registration number.
According to the newly-released figures, claims due to accidents caused by drivers with no insurance were up in 14 of the 26 counties, with the biggest increase seen in Mayo (80 per cent), Meath (55 per cent), and Kildare (42 per cent).
Speaking on the increase, David Fitzgerald, MIBI CEO, said “this jump of almost 200 claims due to accidents caused by uninsured vehicles should be a cause of concern for every law abiding motorist in the country. It is illegal to drive without valid motor insurance, yet as these figures show there are still a significant number of people who are willingly flouting the law.”
“Every one of the uninsured motorists behind these claims is effectively putting their hands in the pockets of law abiding motorists and taking their money. As they broke the law and drove without insurance cover, it becomes the responsibility of the MIBI to handle the compensation associated with these claims.”
