Uninsured Drivers And How They Affect Insured Drivers

What to Do If Your Vehicle is Hit

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Have you ever been hit by an unidentified or uninsured driver? According to the Irish times, one in every 13 private vehicles is uninsured, so the chances may be higher than you think. So how many people in total are taking to the road without cover? And how could this affect you as an insured driver? Find all the answers here.

HOW UNINSURED DRIVERS AFFECT INSURED DRIVERS

It's difficult to accurately predict the true scale of the problem, but experts think that up to 7.5% of drivers don't have insurance. This is both an eye-popping and infuriating statistic for the law-abiding majority, and some commentators have suggested the problem will only continue to grow until the economic situation improves.

Not only is driving without insurance illegal, there's a very real cost to other road users and according to the article uninsured drivers add €40 to the cost of everyone's insurance. The one piece of good news is that if you sustain an injury or loss after being hit by an unidentified or uninsured driver the Motor Insurance Bureau will cover you. Although this protection is free at the point of access, it is funded by companies that underwrite motor insurance in Ireland. So in reality, it's your premiums which fund the bureau and provide compensation for damage caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR VEHICLE IS HIT

If you make a claim and have a comprehensive insurance policy you should first of all report it to your insurer who will handle the claim on behalf of the MIBI. If you don’t have comprehensive cover here's our advice to make sure your claim is processed quickly:

  1. Visit the Motor Insurance Bureau website to notify its team of a claim or download the claim notification form.
  2. Complete the form and remember to provide as much detail as your can.
  3. Keep all the relevant paperwork from the incident as this will speed up the claim process.
  4. Submit the form as soon as possible.
  5. The Motor Insurance Bureaus will acknowledge receipt of the documents and begin its investigation. If you don't hear anything within 10 days, we'd advise you to follow-up and ensure they've received your form.

If you're looking for great value motor insurance, give our friendly team a call on 01 4003400 or hit Get a Quote now.

First published by Ian O'Reilly