Drivers are being advised by Gardaí to purchase insurance for their vehicles and warned of the heavy penalties for drivers convicted of having no insurance.
An estimated 7.8% of drivers on Irish roads are uninsured with an estimated 180,000 vehicles involved.
Speaking earlier today on Tipp Mid West Radio Inspector James White highlighted that Gardaí are to be given improved tools to detect uninsured vehicles.
The current Garda Mobility App allows Garda to scan Driver Licences at the roadside to establish if the driver has any current disqualifications. Inspector White says Gardaí are to be given access to the databases maintained by Insurance Companies to be able to immediately identify uninsured drivers. Some people have been found to have cancelled their insurance direct debit payment but continued to display their car window insurance disc.
Drivers found to be driving without insurance or driving while disqualified will face the seizure of their vehicle and court charges, warns Inspector White.
214 cars have been seized to date in 2023 across county Tipperary – Garda seized a total of 700 vehicles for a range of offences in 2022. Drivers seeking to reclaim their vehicle will have to pay a €130 towing fee and a daily storage charge of €35 per day for a car – the fee increases to €50 for a commercial vehicle.
