24 September 2021
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
The importance of having valid car insurance
The Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) has launched a new marketing campaign which will be aimed at uninsured drivers and potential uninsured drivers. The objective of the campaign is to emphasise the increased risks and problems facing those who drive without insurance.
Driving without motor insurance is against the law. Yet despite insurance being a requirement for all motorists, research conducted by the MIBI pre pandemic showed that as many as one in every 13 private vehicles on Irish roads was being driven without insurance.
The campaign has been created to highlight the considerable difficulties that anyone who risks driving without insurance could face.
That will include stressing the substantial penalties awaiting those who drive a vehicle without insurance, how these problems can stay with the person for a long time as well as highlighting cases where those who have driven without insurance have been apprehended and penalised.
To launch the campaign the MIBI has produced a short, animated video which sets out how easily and effectively An Garda Síochána can now identify and catch those who are driving without insurance, thanks to the development of the ANPR/ MTPL system.
Video voiced by Cork Voice Over Actor David O’Sullivan
Initially, the campaign will mainly be focused on social media, primarily targeting those who are most likely to drive without insurance on a demographic basis.
Speaking about the campaign, David Fitzgerald, Chief Executive of the MIBI said, “Uninsured driving continues to be a problem on Irish roads. The research we conducted pre pandemic emphasised how high a number of uninsured drivers there are. Even though it is well established that driving without insurance is illegal we still have a significant number of people who decide to roll the dice and risk driving without insurance.
“If we are going to start tackling the level of uninsured driving then we need to increase awareness of the risks involved for those who are driving without insurance. That is why we have created this campaign. It will seek to put a series of messages in front of those groups who are most likely to drive without insurance, showcasing the dangers they are opening themselves up to.
“The campaign begins with an animated video highlighting the power of the detection technology available to Gardaí, which has made it easier than ever to identify uninsured vehicles. Other elements within the campaign will focus on how the problems caused by being involved in an accident while driving without insurance can follow you around for a very long time and we will also be seeking to highlight real life situations where those who were driving without insurance have been apprehended and punished.
“We know it will take time to change behaviour among those who think they can break the law by driving without insurance. But we hope that by making these materials difficult to ignore it will have an impact on the number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads over time,” Mr. Fitzgerald concluded.
