The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is calling for the introduction of a new system to help reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads.
The call comes as the latest MIBI research suggests that at the end of last year there were more than 211,000 uninsured or unregistered vehicles in the country, equating to roughly one in every 15 vehicles.
The non-profit organisation wants to see the use in Ireland of a system called Continuous Vehicle Coverage (CVC) to lower the level of uninsured driving.
Under the CVC system, which is already used in 25 European countries, the owner is legally required to insure their vehicle at all times once they take ownership.
Registered vehicles can then be compared with insured vehicles, allowing any that are uninsured to be easily identified.
According to the MIBI, the system has “proven very effective in the UK, where the number of uninsured vehicles dropped from approximately 6% to 2.5%, following its introduction”.
It said under the UK system, notice of fines are issued to owners of vehicles that have been uninsured for 28 days.
Then if the insurance status is not changed after 56 days a fixed charge notice is issued, and if there is no response from the owner within six months, the matter is referred to police who can pursue a prosecution.
The MIBI says currently in Ireland someone is only penalised if they drive a vehicle without valid insurance, which “puts all the pressure on identifying and apprehending the uninsured on An Garda SÃochána.
“Under CVC a different approach is used, which moves the focus from apprehending those driving an uninsured vehicle, to requiring motor insurance based on the ownership of road vehicles,” the MIBI said.
3.5% rise in number of uninsured vehicles in 2025
According to MIBI figures, there was a 3.5% increase in the number of uninsured private vehicles on Irish roads between 2024 and 2025 to 105,429.
In addition it estimates in 2025 there were 105,942 non-private vehicles either uninsured or not registered on the National Fleet Database (NFD).
The NFD is part of the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID), which was introduced in 2024.
The IMID system allows gardaà to check the insurance status of a vehicle in seconds, using automatic number plate recognition technology or through a mobile device.
The data contained in the database includes policyholder details, vehicle registration numbers and names of drivers who are permitted to drive the vehicles, which are covered by each policy.
Progress on uninsured driving ‘flatlining’ – MIBI
MIBI Chief Executive David Fitzgerald said that Ireland “still has a very high level of uninsured vehicles on our roads despite the strong and effective work of An Garda SÃochána,” adding that “progress is flatlining and further measures are required”.
“That’s what Continuous Vehicle Coverage would provide. It would reduce the pressure on the gardaà and make enforcement against uninsured vehicles an administration led process first.
“Under this system, unless the vehicle is formally put off the road, then the vehicle owner must ensure it is insured, rather than requiring the Gardaà to catch an uninsured driver in the act,” he said.
The reported increase in the level of uninsured vehicles comes despite 19,673 vehicles seizures for driving without insurance in 2025, and a further 25,009 charges and summons issued for that offence over the same period.
The MIBI was established to compensate victims of road crashes caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles.
It estimates that claims involving uninsured drivers add around €30 to the cost of every insurance policy.
Read more: Over 19,600 vehicles seized for being driven without insurance in 2025