The following are some of the major findings in the report: motor insurance premiums in Ireland comprise 1.6% of GDP; litigation costs – legal and expert fees – add 40% to every €1 paid in compensation for injuries sustained in motor accidents; young male drivers, aged 17 to 20 years, on provisional licences produce very substantial insurance losses – they are involved in many accidents, resulting in the most serious of claims at a frequency disproportionate to their representation as policyholders; charges for young female policyholders are not justified by their claims costs – such policyholders have been described by insurers as "subsidisers"; the consequences of uninsured driving are becoming more acute, with the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland estimating that they add 8% annually to the cost of claims in the aggregate motor insurance market; the market for private motor insurance is not competitive, a situation compounded by the fact that motor insurance is compulsory, thereby limiting the usual market forces dictated by consumers – the level of mergers reduced 17 separate motor insurers in 1993 to just five in 2001, some of which operate under various product images, without the identity of the insurer being apparent to consumers; and vested interests and inefficiencies may collectively account for as much as half the premium paid by the law-abiding motorist.