A total of 18,676 vehicles were seized by An Garda Síochána for being uninsured in 2024 following the introduction of the new Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) last year. This was up by 67% from the 11,201 vehicles that had been seized for the same offence in 2023.
While the number of insurance related summons and charges issued by An Garda Síochána reached 26,094 in 2024, up by 23% from 21,198 in 2023.
These statistics are included in the first IMID Annual Report which has just been published by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).
This database was set up to provide the legal authorities with the motor insurance details for all vehicles on Irish roads, allowing the Gardaí to identify any uninsured vehicles in seconds through their handheld mobile devices or via their Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) systems. According to the report, by the end of 2024 details for 3,471,083 vehicles and 5,629,873 drivers were being updated and passed to An Garda Síochána on a daily basis.
As well as the MIBI, the IMID project is organised by The Department of Transport, An Garda Síochána, Insurance Ireland and the wider insurance sector.
The next phase of the IMID project will see Driver Numbers added to the database. From 31 March 2025 onwards it will be an offence for any insurance provider or broker to issue a motor insurance policy where the driver number has not been provided. This means that anyone who does not provide the driver number for all named drivers on their policy will not be able to receive motor insurance.
Every motorist has their own unique Driver Number which stays with them for life, regardless of changes to their vehicle, policy or updates to their driver’s licence. It is listed under section 4(d) on every person’s driver’s licence. The driver number is an additional data point that will help deliver greater road safety by providing An Garda Síochána with a more comprehensive insight into any offences a specific driver may have committed, making it even more difficult for those who act illegally on Irish roads to evade detection.
Speaking at the launch of the first IMID Annual Report, David Fitzgerald, CEO of the MIBI said, “In light of the high level of uninsured driving in this country with approximately 188k uninsured vehicles on our roads in 2022, the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has long sought the implementation of a tool that would quickly provide the legal authorities with details on the motor insurance policies in place for any vehicle operating on Irish roads. This has been an effective system in other countries, assisting police to track any uninsured driving activity that may be taking place.
“We firmly believed that such a system would be effective in Ireland too. Thankfully, over the course of the last year that has proven to be the case. On a daily basis the power of this new tool could be fully seen, helping An Garda Síochána to identify and apprehend thousands more uninsured drivers over the course of the year. IMID represents a new dawn in the battle against illegal, uninsured driving.
“In the year ahead, we expect to see further advancements made to IMID as Driver Numbers are added to the database and that information will then also be shared with An Garda Síochána on a daily basis. This will give the Gardaí an even more informed picture of the driver in question, allowing them to see any offences they may have committed and ultimately helping to clampdown on those who engage in serial illegal driving activity,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.