New Garda clampdown to target rogue drivers in Kilkenny

GARDAI are set to roll out a new campaign using new handheld technology to target uninsured drivers in Kilkenny and other parts of the country.

Officers will soon be armed with new devices that will instantly tell if a vehicle is insured. The devices will also be linked to a new ‘hotlist’ of rogue drivers which will be rolled out by the end of the year.

The move is part of a new drive to clamp down on the rise in the numbers taking to the roads without insurance. Insurance campaigners hope the initiative will help to reduce premiums for law-abiding motorists.

Experts said the use of the technology will mean uninsured drivers will have nowhere to hide. It is estimated there are around as many as 150,000 uninsured drivers currently on our roads.

Insurance companies are providing gardaí with lists of vehicles that have insurance cover on them and those that do not, based on the licence plate number and the driver’s name.

This list is then being loaded on to the automatic number plate recognition system operated by gardaí.

It is expected gardaí will have handheld devices, based off a specially designed app, that will allow them to check a car at the roadside.

The new system is set to be rolled out by the end of this year, according to the latest progress report on the Government’s Cost of Insurance Motor Working Group.

If it works to reduce the number of uninsured drivers, the new measure is expected to lead to demands from drivers that insurers cut premiums.

Motorists who legally pay their insurance premiums have to fund pay-outs for accidents caused by uninsured or unidentified drivers through the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

There are close to 2,800 insurance claims a year due to uninsured and unidentified drivers.