Written answers

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Department of Transport

Road Traffic Offences

8:00 pm

Photo of Damien EnglishDamien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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Question 298: To ask the Minister for Transport the estimated number of uninsured drivers on the road; the assessment he has made of the way this figure compares internationally; the steps he proposes to vastly reduce this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31018/07]

Photo of Noel DempseyNoel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)
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The number of uninsured drivers is estimated by the insurance industry to be in the range of one hundred thousand drivers or 6%. This is calculated by taking the number of registered vehicles from the National Vehicle and Driver File maintained by the Vehicle Registration Unit and subtracting the number of exempted vehicles, e.g., State vehicles. The resulting figure is compared to the number of policies in force. An allowance is also made for fleet insurance where a number of vehicles are insured on a single policy.

The Internal Market Directorate of the European Commission has undertaken a survey among Member States of the European Union on uninsured vehicles, within the European Union. There are a number of factors which must be taken into account when making international comparisons.

The calculations methods used among Member States when arriving at the number of uninsured vehicles are very diverse.

Some Member States have not disclosed the method used to calculate the estimate of uninsured vehicles, or the number of vehicles on which the estimate is based.

Insurance in Ireland and the UK is on the driver whereas in other Member States, insurance is on the vehicle.

The most comparable Member State is the UK because the insurance is on the driver rather than the vehicle. Their estimate at approximately 5% is similar to Ireland. However the method used to arrive at this figure is not comparable to the method used in Ireland.

Several steps have been taken in recent years to reduce the level of uninsured driving. The Garda Traffic Corps has been substantially expanded to improve compliance with all road traffic legislation including motor insurance requirements. Legislation has also been put in place to extend the powers of the Gardaí to permit the seizure of all uninsured vehicles. In addition, since the introduction of the Penalty Points system, 6,778 persons have received penalty points for uninsured driving up to the end of October 2007.

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