Leitrim Sees 216% Spike in Uninsured Drivers

The Sligo-Leitrim Garda district recorded the highest increase in offences where motorists were caught without insurance in the past year, according to Gardaí statistics.

The area saw a 216% increase in motorists caught without insurance by Gardaí in Q2 of 2024 compared to Q2 of 2023.

Under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994, driving a vehicle without insurance is a road offence that carries penalties including fines of up to €5,000, five penalty points, vehicle seizure, and a potential court summons. It was estimated that there were roughly 190,000 uninsured vehicles on Irish roads in 2022.

“Nobody should be on the road without insurance,” said Councillor Padraig Fallon, who expressed his surprise at the sharp increase in uninsured motorists in the region.

“Insurance is essential not only for drivers but also for their passengers and other road users. Nobody should be on the road in an uninsured vehicle,” he added.

The councillor also noted that this rise may not indicate a new trend but rather improved detection due to the rollout of new automatic number plate recognition technology among Gardaí last year.

The data showed significant increases in uninsured motorists detected in other areas, including Donegal (123%), Galway (166%), and Dublin South Central (166%).

“It appears likely that there is a correlation between the excessive cost of car insurance in Ireland and the rise in motorists driving without insurance,” said Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Ireland South MEP and a member of the EU Transport Committee.

“That in no way justifies driving without insurance. Uninsured drivers involved in accidents only serve to further increase the average cost of premiums,” she added.

The cost of car insurance has risen by over 11% in a year, according to CSO figures, significantly outpacing inflation.

“In France, analysts predict motor insurance premiums will rise by an average of between 4% and 6% this year—half of Ireland's increase. Meanwhile, although insurance costs in Estonia grew by 22% in 2023, they remain relatively low at an average of €144 per year. In rural Hungary, average motor premiums are as low as €130 per year,” she noted.

Ní Mhurchú has pledged to raise the issue in the EU Transport Committee and to lobby her government colleagues to implement the Action Plan for Insurance Reform, as promised in the Programme for Government.

However, car insurance in Leitrim remains the lowest in the country, with the average driver paying €599 per year, according to Chill Insurance figures.

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