Gardaí are now able to identify tractors and other vehicles without insurance quickly at the roadside via a new app.

The Garda Mobility App was officially launched on National Insurance Enforcement Day this Friday 24 May by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and assistant Garda commissioner for roads policing Paula Hilman.

However, this app has been in use by 13,000 gardaí since the beginning of the year and has

led to the seizure of 7,307 vehicles since January 2024 due to no insurance.

Seizures

Some 1,840 of these vehicles were seized in the month of April.

Assistant commissioner Hilman said the app puts gardaí in a stronger position to detect those driving without insurance.

"Improved technology and data sharing are helping to transform roads policing in Ireland and ultimately help An Garda Síochána to keep road users safe.

“Today’s launch shows the considerable progress that can be achieved when we work in partnership and share data,” she added..

Collaboration

The new system was co-ordinated by the Department of Transport, the Department of Justice, An Garda Síochána, Insurance Ireland and the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI).

It comes following legislative change and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between An Garda Síochána and the MIBI.

On a daily basis, the MIBI provides An Garda Síochána with the insurance details of over three million vehicles that are operating on Irish roads via the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID).

Driving a vehicle without insurance is against the law and penalties include vehicles being seized on the spot, a court appearance and five penalty points, as well as significant fines.

Research

Research from the MIBI indicates that there are a high number of uninsured vehicles operating on Irish roads.

In 2022, there were approximately 188,000 uninsured private vehicles in this country, meaning one in every 12 private vehicles was uninsured.

This research also shows that Ireland is among the highest-ranking European countries for uninsured vehicles – three times as high the UK and four times the EU average.