It is estimated that 150,000 drivers are uninsured on Irish roads. Now, Gardaí will use handheld devices, in the form an app, to instantly discover if motorists are driving without insurance.
When a car is pulled over, officers will scan a number plate of a vehicle which will be linked to a new database of uninsured drivers. According to The Irish Independent, the move is an effort to clamp down on the number of cars without insurance and to help reduce insurance prices for law-abiding motorists.
Advanced technology means uninsured drivers will be automatically flagged as insurance companies are providing gardaí with lists of vehicles that are uninsured and those that are not. The information will be stored with the licence plate and the driver's name. The list will be added to the automatic number plate recognition operated by gardaí.
If it works to reduce the number of uninsured drivers, the new measure is expected to lead to demands from drivers that insurers cut premiums.
Currently, motorists who legally pay their insurance premiums fund pay-outs for accidents caused by uninsured or unidentified drivers through the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).
There are close to 2,800 insurance claims a year due to uninsured and unidentified drivers. The operation of the MIBI costs €60m a year, which works out at €30 on the average motorist's premium.
