Uninsured drivers 'have claim rights'

HelterSkelter

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=9&si=1642207&issue_id=14268

UNINSURED drivers should get the right to claim accident compensation, argued the European Commission yesterday as it launched a new legal action against Ireland.

The move would create new rights for the 8pc of drivers on Irish roads who don't have any insurance when they go behind the wheel.

The European Commission complains that innocent uninsured drivers should be covered by the current national fund, if they are victims of accidents caused by other uninsured drivers. Commission lawyers believe Ireland's current relief fund doesn't work fairly, since it only covers insured motorists who are hit by drivers with no policies.

It is estimated the cost of supporting the current insurance fund adds up to €90 per year to insured drivers' premiums.

Although the automatic reaction of many people would be unsympathetic towards uninsured drivers, they should have some protection too, argued Conor Faughnan of the Automobile Association.

Conor Sweeney

andrew_ireland

Wtf? That's ridiculous, us insured drivers having to pay ott insurance premiums yet these a$$holes are going to be afforded similar right? It's the insured drivers that will be paying for this. No-one told the uninsured drivers to get behind the wheel and tough sh1t if they have an accident.:mad:

Kimbot

Thats a load of cr@p!!! If they want to drive they have to pay like the rest of us!! Thats just encouraging driving without insurance!!

Tipsy Mac

Simple solution would be to let them have their compensation but for the car to also be seized and sold on with money going into the fund, this could be done regardless whether it was a BMW M5 or a 1986 Ford Fiesta.

Wishbone Ash

Perhaps a significant portion of those uninsured drivers are technically paying insurance but are driving beyond the limitations of their policy. e.g. doing comercial work on a private policy or driving other person's cars thinking that they are covered.

conor_mc

It's one thing to have to pay extra to insure myself against these idiots, but it's something else to have to pay to insure them against each other..!!!

Torak

HelterSkelter wrote:

8pc of drivers on Irish roads who don't have any insurance when they go behind the wheel.

That's what scares the crap out of me..

How is that possible?

I can kind of understand if its based on a technicality, but if that is the number of people who knowingly get behind the wheel of a car with no insurance then there is something seriously wrong.

kluivert

Something seriously wrong with that judgement.

No insurance no car.

Do what England do, no insurance or tax, car is towed to impound, no insurance details within the set amount of time, then the car is crushed.

No bull**** nonsense attitude is fair in my opinion.

The lowest type of insurance is third party in this country, therefore that judgement means that you are automatically covered for third party if you have insurance or not.

Stark

HelterSkelter wrote:

Although the automatic reaction of many people would be unsympathetic towards uninsured drivers, they should have some protection too, argued Conor Faughnan of the Automobile Association.

If you looked up "bleeding heart" in the dictionary, you'd probably find this guy's picture.

prospect

I would pay to have the buggers locked up for life sooner than pay for their claim in an accident.

Next thing is we will be paying burglers expenses to rob our properties!!!!!

Doolittle51

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Perhaps a significant portion of those uninsured drivers are technically paying insurance but are driving beyond the limitations of their policy. e.g. doing comercial work on a private policy or driving other person's cars thinking that they are covered.

Ignorance is no excuse. Everybody who has an insurance policy also has a booklet explaining the terms of their policy etc.

Supercell

prospect wrote:

Next thing is we will be paying burglers expenses to rob our properties!!!!!

Pretty good analogy imho, of course who's going to end up paying for these buggers claims??...yes you guessed it, us premium paying drivers

Stark

Burglars are already entitled to sue you if they hurt themselves so I guess this isn't such a leap.

connundrum

In S. Africa 3rd party insurance is paid as part of the tax on petrol, meaning that any licenced driver can get behind the wheel and know that there is a huge govt controlled fund sitting there for 3rd party victims*

Part of me would support this as it cuts out a load of crap..

*If you want your car covered for theft, fire or f.comp then you pay an additional premium to an insurer - its your choice.

*Huge amounts of police time isn't wasted checking insurance details on the roadside.

*If you aren't fully licenced then you'r fcuked as you shouldn't have been driving in the 1st place, jail and ultimately death will follow. :rolleyes:

It makes sense to me, but then again I'd be all up for us to pay road tax through our petrol - the longer you're on the road, the more tax ya pay. Simple no?



*This may be a very simplified version of what the actual situation is, and therefore is open to correction.

Alun

I think that's the same situation as in New Zealand isn't it? Sounds like a good plan to me

green-blood

Simple doesn't make for good politics!!!

colm_mcm

so you can buy bangers, and keep crashing them, knowing your premium will never rise.

Robbo

Some things to note about this article before we proceed.

Firstly, this is not an established precedent. The European Commission is merely making a case before the ECJ in favour of giving some claim rights to uninsured drivers. This is not, as I'm sure the tabloids/hysteria merchants will make out, carte blanche for uninsured drivers to go crashing into all and sundry for big cash payouts. If the outcome is in favour of the EC, it's extremely unlikely that their claim rights will be anything more than a fraction of a properly insured driver, and rightly so.

Secondly, this will not make driving uninsured any less illegal than it currently is. Uninsured drivers will still get the usual bans and fines.

Thirdly, there is not a single thing that Conor Faughnan won't offer his opinion on if the media come calling for a soundbite.

Bluehair

connundrum wrote:

It makes sense to me, but then again I'd be all up for us to pay road tax through our petrol - the longer you're on the road, the more tax ya pay. Simple no?

Makes perfect sense to me too. Scrap road tax altogether slap the difference on petrol with slightly less on diesel and lpg.

Institute nationwide automatic 3rd party insurance out of this fund, and as you say if someone wants to cover their car for theft or comprehensive cover etc then they pay that themselves.