25,000 caught driving without insurance
A report published today (16 February) shows that gardaí seized 19,673 vehicles for driving without insurance last year.
The Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID) annual report, published by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) also shows that gardaí have now detained 38,546 vehicles for breaking the law by driving without insurance in the first two years since they began using the new insurance database.
The IMID system allows Gardaí to check the insurance status of a vehicle in seconds, using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology or through their mobile device.
According to the report, a further 51,024 charges and summons have been issued to people apprehended for driving without insurance in that period, with 25,009 issued last year.
Driver numbers
By the end of 2025, almost 4.6 million valid driver numbers had been added to the database, with more numbers to be added over the coming months as additional policy renewals occur.
By the end of last year, details for almost 3.65 million vehicles were included on IMID.
IMID updates to gardaí include:
- Name and address of insurance policy holder,
- Driver number,
- Insurance policy details,
- Vehicle-registration number associated with insurance policy,
- Details of named drivers covered by insurance policy, and
- Name of the insurance company.
Motor-fleet policies
The MIBI has estimated, however, that “thousands” of fleet vehicles are still missing from the National Fleet Database (NFD) and that their owners are breaking the law.
The NFD covers motor-fleet insurance policies, which provide cover for multiple vehicles under a single insurance policy.
These are mainly used by businesses, motor traders, and organisations operating several vehicles and allow policy holders to add or remove vehicles frequently throughout the lifetime of the policy.
Since November 2023, fleet owners and motor traders have been required by law to ensure all the vehicles covered by insurance policies of this type are uploaded to the NFD. Those who do not comply risk prosecution and fines of up to €500 per vehicle.
“We hope to work with An Garda Síochána and other IMID stakeholders this year to target that group and to remind all offenders that if you do not meet your legal motor-insurance obligations you face the real risk of being prosecuted, a process that IMID has made easier than ever for the gardaí,” said MIBI chief executive David Fitzgerald.