The percentage of uninsured drivers in Ireland is four times the EU average.

The Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) is warning that the figures “should make everybody in this country concerned about the rule of law and order”.

Figures for last year show that one-in-12 private vehicles on the road in Ireland last year did not have valid insurance.

It means Ireland has the second-highest level of uninsured drivers in the European Economic Area (EEA) – second only to Greece.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s level of uninsured drivers is three times higher than the UK’s.

MIBI will raise the findings at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport this afternoon.

"Startlingly high"

On Breakfast Briefing this morning, the organisation’s CEO David Fitzgerald said the figures are startling.

“For Ireland to be potentially the worst country in the EU for uninsured vehicles should make everybody in this country concerned about the rule of law and order and road safety and sit up and take notice,” he said.

“It is a startingly high figure that one in 12 vehicles are driving around uninsured and it shows just how much of a problem uninsured driving has become in this country.

“We have three times as many uninsured vehicles as our neighbours in the UK and four times the EU average.”

Enforcement

Mr Fitzgerald said enforcement is key to resolving the problem and called for the Road Traffic and Roads Bill to be fully enacted.

He said the bill would allow Gardaí to properly use their Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system – which could quickly tell them when a vehicle is uninsured.

“For us, enforcement is key,” he said.

“That is why we are calling for this bill to be passed without delay. So, we can get Gardaí the tools they need to effectively enforce this with their automatic number plate recognition cameras, which can automatically scan a licence plate of a vehicle very quickly and see if it appears to be uninsured.”

Punishment

He said offenders should be punished to the full extent of the law.

“Gardaí already have the power to seize the vehicle on the spot as well as other significant penalties such as an automatic court appearance, five penalty points and a fine of up to €5,000,” he said.

“Repeat offenders can be punished by up to six months in prison.”

The average level of uninsured vehicles across the EEA is just 1.8%.