Kerry was among the worst Garda districts in the country for drivers without motor insurance.
There was a 116 per cent (115.7%) increase in the number of uninsured drivers in the county between the second quarters of 2023 and 2024.
That’s according to Garda road policing figures.
Ireland South MEP and EU Transport Committee member, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, described the figures as ‘shocking’.
The worst month was May 2024, when 41 drivers were caught without insurance in Kerry.The number of vehicles detained due to a lack of valid insurance rose significantly in every single county during that twelve-month period.
Galway was the worst affected, with a jump of 199%.
She suspects the surge in uninsured drivers is closely linked to the rising cost of motor insurance in Ireland.
She is calling for urgent action and says she will raise the issue of rising insurance costs for drivers in the European Parliament.
MEP Ní Mhurchú highlighted CSO figures showing that the cost of car insurance rose by over eleven per cent in just one year, far exceeding inflation.She compared motor insurance premiums in Ireland to those in France, where, she says, they are forecast to rise by only four to six per cent.
Estonia experienced a 22% increase in motor insurance in 2023; however, their average premium remains just €144 per year.
In rural Hungary, motorists pay as little as €130 per year.
Ní Mhurchú suggested that excessive car insurance costs are a key factor driving motorists to make the illegal and dangerous decision to drive uninsured: 'It appears likely that there is a correlation between the excessive cost of car insurance in Ireland and the spike in motorists driving without insurance. That in no way justifies a motorist driving without insurance, as uninsured drivers involved in accidents only serve to further increase the average cost of premiums.'
| Garda District | Percentage Increase |
|---|---|
| Galway | 199% |
| Dublin South Central | 166% |
| Dublin North Central | 125.2% |
| Donegal | 123% |
| Laois/Offaly | 137.8% |
| Kerry | 115.7% |
| Cork City | 108.6% |
| Wexford/Wicklow | 94.8% |
| Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow | 98.9% |
| Cork County | 89.5% |
| Meath/Westmeath | 84.6% |
| Limerick | 82.8% |
| Kildare | 78% |
| Clare/Tipperary | 52% |
