Mr. Harry Lee:

I thank the Chairman and committee members for allowing me this opportunity to speak to them about motor vehicle safety, especially roadworthiness and write-offs. I have been involved in the motor and insurance industry for most of my career and in the past 12 years an independent motor engineering assessor and consultant. As an experienced motor assessor, part of my role is assisting in ensuring modified, crashed and repaired vehicles are in a safe and roadworthy condition by ensuring the correct work process is undertaken and documented. On a regular basis we encounter vehicles which are deemed to be unrepairable and currently categorised as a write-off by the insurer, but what about vehicles that are not physically inspected or do not go through the insurance system?

When these vehicles are inspected, which is not always by suitable independent motor assessors, the vehicle report, with its documented information, is not a public document and stays with whoever paid for the report. If these reports were available, the possibility of returning the vehicle to the road in a safe manner greatly increases. The present system can be greatly improved to ensure all damaged vehicles, whether going through the insurance system or not, are returned to the road in a safe and roadworthy condition. At present, the system enables some damaged and repaired vehicles to return to the road without proper documented confirmation of its status, which is unsatisfactory. There is no regulation to insist such a documented process has to be undertaken.

This oversight not only relates to the family vehicle but also to all mechanically-propelled vehicles and the like. There must be a regulation that insists that everybody who undertakes any work, whether service, mechanical, body repairs or modifications, documents the process and retains same for possible future inspection and auditing. The importance of documentation is to ensure a vehicle history trail and accountability can be measured. From time to time we encounter imported vehicles and the lack of a proper vehicle history being available is an obvious issue, especially with the amount of imports appearing to be on the increase. Some figures indicate 10% of the UK imports alone are insurance write-offs and therefore all the imported vehicles need to be tested and documented as being roadworthy and safe prior to being allowed on our roads.

Experience has shown the use of suitably experienced independent-acting motor engineer assessors improves vehicle safety, decreases claim costs and underwriting risk, increases vehicle and repair standards within the motor industry, increases revenue, provides independent investigative assistance and clarification and provides suitable reports on vehicle roadworthiness and modification.

On claims costs, by not using suitable motor engineer assessors correctly, insurance companies are not suitably equipped to audit and investigate claims when required and this is in part leading to heightened claims costs. There is also a need for clear regulation regarding the suitably qualified individual and the processes regarding the services he or she supplies.

Who can assist with and audit this? The establishment of a truly open, transparent and independent full-time body or individual is required. The benefits of such an entity would include a completely documented register of suitable motor engineer assessors, as well as constant auditing and education, an accessible independent voice to assist the motor industry and all related bodies, such as the RSA, EPA, Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Revenue Commissioners, assistance in the design and enforcement of regulation and an increase in standards within the motor industry. I am confident that the use of suitably experienced independent-acting professional motor engineer assessors, combined with an independent body or individual, will allow the correct enhancements necessary in the industry both cost-effectively and in a timely manner.