Uninsuired Drivers

ants09

What would you do if you knew a uninsured driver ?

It doesnt matter if they owned the car they were driving at the time or if they were just moving a car from point A to point B and werent insured :mad:

Would you named and shame them

Supergurrier

If they used it day to day i would report them after abit especially if they bragged about it

CiniO

If I wanted to report every uninsured driver, I would have to make a list containing half of the local population where I live.

Yawns

ants09 wrote: »

What would you do if you knew a uninsured driver ?

It doesnt matter if they owned the car they were driving at the time or if they were just moving a car from point A to point B and werent insured :mad:

Would you named and shame them

If it was just a once off no more than 1 - 2 minutes thing then I wouldn't care. I hate the ****ers that drive daily with no insurance as all other motorists end up stumping more each year in the long run.

ants09

Yawns wrote: »

If it was just a once off no more than 1 - 2 minutes thing then I wouldn't care. I hate the ****ers that drive daily with no insurance as all other motorists end up stumping more each year in the long run.

And if that xxxxer during that 1 or 2 minutes damage another car and didnt give a **** about it ? and hadnt a licence to drive in this country :eek:

btw i hate them also and would love to xxxxx there effen xxxxx

Yawns

ants09 wrote: »

And if that xxxxer during that 1 or 2 minutes damage another car and didnt give a **** about it ? and hadnt a licence to drive in this country :eek:

btw i hate them also and would love to xxxxx there effen xxxxx

But that's not what you asked originally. I'm not talking about someone who flouts the laws regularly. I'm talking more of a move another persons car out of the way, then moving you own car and parking the other persons car back. Like a parents car for example.

My car is in my dad's garden atm. He was away but came back this evening. Now let's say he's gone out to the pub and I need to get out. I'd take his keys, reverse his car out and park on the street safely a few meters away. Move my car out, then park his car in the garden. I'm not insured on his car and it's breaking the law. I'd still do it tho. I wouldn't going crashing it or driving off in it.

CiniO

It's not uninsured drivers that worry me.

It's the system which encourages people to drive uninsured.

Firstly there are so many occasions where people drive uninsured (short term) just because it's too much hassle or nearly impossible to be insured.
F.e. you are driving going back from somewhere, but you were drinking. You don't want to drive under the influence, so you ask you friend to drive your car. He is not insured to do so, but it's only short distance, and it would be impossible to contact your insurer at 3 in the morning to add him to your policy. He just chances it and drives.
Or you are buying secondhand car privately and want to test drive it. If your policy won't cover it, you are pretty much forced to test drive it uninsured.
List of such situations which happened to everyone quite often could be very long.

Secondly, uninsured drivers don't really suffer any consequences of their behaviour.
I was talking once to a person who caused an accident uninsured. Yes - he was prosecuted allright for driving uninsured. But who paid for the claim? MIBI did. And they didn't bother recovering that money from person who was driving uninsured.
So he eventually ended up better, because he didn't give a hell about the fact that he was prosecuted, and it definitely cost him less than insruance policy would cost him.
So in general who paid for the claim? We all paid it - all people who honestly pay they insurance.
Madness.
In any other country in EU if person caused accident uninsured, then obviously claim would be paid by organisation like MIBI, but they would recover every single penny from that person. Possibly person would have to sell his house to pay for it. Or otherwise he/she would have to pay in small installments to the end of their life.
Can't understand why doesn't it work like this in Ireland.

I must admit that for 8 years driving in Poland before I moved here, I've never ever driven uninsured. Even if I wanted to do it, it would be very hard.
Since I moved to Ireland, sometimes I had to drive uninsured, as it was pretty much impossible to arrange cover. I didn't want to do it, but pretty much I didn't have a choice.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

sometimes I had to drive uninsured, as it was pretty much impossible to arrange cover. I didn't want to do it, but pretty much I didn't have a choice.

I wonder why someone would have to drive uninsured, sick kid to hospital or some other emergency?

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

I wonder why someone would have to drive uninsured, sick kid to hospital or some other emergency?

No. Examples like above.
I was buying a car and had to test drive it before the purchase.
Or I had to drive my friend's car as he was unable to do so and we had to go back home.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

No. Examples like above.
I was buying a car and had to test drive it before the purchase.
Or I had to drive my friend's car as he was unable to do so and we had to go back home.

Piss poor excuses for not having insurance. How do you think it would have worked out if the worst happened ?

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

Piss poor excuses for not having insurance. How do you think it would have worked out if the worst happened ?

MIBI would pay for the claim. That's it.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

MIBI would pay for the claim. That's it.

Sure why bother with insurance at all so?

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

MIBI would pay for the claim. That's it.

No, the Gardai will investigate if you should be prosecuted, and I would hope they do, and with a successful prosecution against you, you will hopefully find it more expensive to insure yourself.

The funding for the Motor Insurers Bureau comes from every single motor policy that is taken out.

If company X insurers 25% of the cars on the road they pay 25% of the MIBI claims, if Company Y insurers 15% of the of the cars on the road they pay 15% of the MIBI claims and so on until 100% of the claims are covered.

If nobody drives uninsured then everybody pays less for insurance... but hey if arranging insurance in certain circumstances is too much hassle for you, don't worry we'll all be forced to pick up the tab for you.

You're very welcome by the way.

CiniO

Profiler wrote: »

If nobody drives uninsured they everybody pays less for insurance... but hey if arranging insurance in certain circumstances is too much hassle for you, don't worry we'll all be forced to pick up the tab for you.

You're very welcome by the way.

I don't drive uninsured. I'm doing everything not to.
But imagine a situation that you are in the middle of nowhere at 2 in the morning 20km away from your home and you were meant to come back home in car with your friend. Unfortunately friend is drunk but he still intents to drive.
You have some choices.
1. Let him go, and stay there for the rest of the night (no taxis, no mobile coverage) and probably freeze to death at it's november and freezing rain.
2. Go with him and hope for the best.
3. Tell him you will drive, and do it bringing everyone safely home - but uninsured.

Which option would you choose?

Yawns

Profiler wrote: »

but hey if arranging insurance in certain circumstances is too much hassle for you.

To be fair there are certain circumstances where by you cannot get insured on a car. Such as if you want to test drive for a few minutes in a private sale. You can't take a policy out and the seller might not have open drive or your own policy might not cover 3rd party extension for driving other vehicles.

Not saying to go drive around the place all the time bit I wouldn't get upset if I knew that my neighbour was selling a car and the buyer took it for a short drive around the block for example. Or like my example of where I would move a parents car out of the way so I can get my car out of the driveway, then move the parents car back in. If the parent was there I'd ask them to move but if they were out in the pub or something I wouldn't bat an eyelid about it.

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

Sure why bother with insurance at all so?

To be fair the test driving a car I was buying I got really surprised.
It was first car I wanted to buy in Ireland. I checked with Aviva how much insurance would cost me, and being satisfied I could afford it I went to see few cars.
I couldn't believe when owner told me that during test drive his insurance wouldn't cover me. But he told me I'll be grand so I did test drive. It was actually on 3 different cars.

How could I suspect, that insurance covers only car owner to drive it?
It's not something you know before you actually read throughly the insurance policy or someone tells you this.

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

It's not uninsured drivers that worry me.

It's the system which encourages people to drive uninsured.

Firstly there are so many occasions where people drive uninsured (short term) just because it's too much hassle or nearly impossible to be insured.
F.e. you are driving going back from somewhere, but you were drinking. You don't want to drive under the influence, so you ask you friend to drive your car. He is not insured to do so, but it's only short distance, and it would be impossible to contact your insurer at 3 in the morning to add him to your policy. He just chances it and drives.

Get a taxi.

CiniO wrote: »

Or you are buying secondhand car privately and want to test drive it. If your policy won't cover it, you are pretty much forced to test drive it uninsured.

No, you ask the person selling if their policy has open driving, if it dosen't then you don't test drive. It's not as if there is only one second hand car for sale in Ireland.

CiniO wrote: »

List of such situations which happened to everyone quite often could be very long.

You listed two very flimsy situations both of which were very VERY easy to get around and be fully insured.

CiniO wrote: »

Secondly, uninsured drivers don't really suffer any consequences of their behaviour.
I was talking once to a person who caused an accident uninsured. Yes - he was prosecuted allright for driving uninsured. But who paid for the claim? MIBI did. And they didn't bother recovering that money from person who was driving uninsured.

The MIBI will have investigated if the uninsured person had means to pay them back, however if he didn't why thrown good money after bad pursuing someone who is broke for money they don't have.

CiniO wrote: »

In any other country in EU if person caused accident uninsured, then obviously claim would be paid by organisation like MIBI, but they would recover every single penny from that person. Possibly person would have to sell his house to pay for it. Or otherwise he/she would have to pay in small installments to the end of their life.
Can't understand why doesn't it work like this in Ireland.

That is not how it happens in the rest of the EU, not sure if you are ill informed or just making things up.

CiniO wrote: »

Since I moved to Ireland, sometimes I had to drive uninsured, as it was pretty much impossible to arrange cover. I didn't want to do it, but pretty much I didn't have a choice.

It's not that you didn't have a choice, you just didn't try hard enough.

Stheno

ants09 wrote: »

What would you do if you knew a uninsured driver ?

It doesnt matter if they owned the car they were driving at the time or if they were just moving a car from point A to point B and werent insured :mad:

Would you named and shame them

Yes I cannot abide people driving uninsured.

CiniO wrote: »

It's not uninsured drivers that worry me.

It's the system which encourages people to drive uninsured.

Firstly there are so many occasions where people drive uninsured (short term) just because it's too much hassle or nearly impossible to be insured.

Or you are buying secondhand car privately and want to test drive it. If your policy won't cover it, you are pretty much forced to test drive it uninsured.
List of such situations which happened to everyone quite often could be very long.

S

Switch your insurance temporarily/have open drive? I've done both test driving cars.

CiniO wrote: »

I don't drive uninsured. I'm doing everything not to.
But imagine a situation that you are in the middle of nowhere at 2 in the morning 20km away from your home and you were meant to come back home in car with your friend. Unfortunately friend is drunk but he still intents to drive.
You have some choices.
1. Let him go, and stay there for the rest of the night (no taxis, no mobile coverage) and probably freeze to death at it's november and freezing rain.
2. Go with him and hope for the best.
3. Tell him you will drive, and do it bringing everyone safely home - but uninsured.

Which option would you choose?

1. Have open drive on your policy?
2. Get a taxi? Hard to believe that anywhere is more than 20km from a taxi these days?
3. Stay in a b and b?
4. Ring another friend/partner for a lift?

I'd never go out depending on a drive back from a drinker tbh, I may be lucky as my OH doesn't drink, but I'd never go out expecting someone drinking to drive me back.

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

I don't drive uninsured. I'm doing everything not to.
But imagine a situation that you are in the middle of nowhere at 2 in the morning 20km away from your home and you were meant to come back home in car with your friend. Unfortunately friend is drunk but he still intents to drive.
You have some choices.
1. Let him go, and stay there for the rest of the night (no taxis, no mobile coverage) and probably freeze to death at it's november and freezing rain.
2. Go with him and hope for the best.
3. Tell him you will drive, and do it bringing everyone safely home - but uninsured.

Which option would you choose?

4. Don't get into a situation where you are in the middle of nowhere at 2am with no phone coverage and no taxi.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

I don't drive uninsured. I'm doing everything not to.
But imagine a situation that you are in the middle of nowhere at 2 in the morning 20km away from your home and you were meant to come back home in car with your friend. Unfortunately friend is drunk but he still intents to drive.
You have some choices.
1. Let him go, and stay there for the rest of the night (no taxis, no mobile coverage) and probably freeze to death at it's november and freezing rain.
2. Go with him and hope for the best.
3. Tell him you will drive, and do it bringing everyone safely home - but uninsured.

Which option would you choose?

Take the keys from your friend, sleep in the car untill the insured driver is sober then drive home. Call a cab. Call a friend/family member.

If you are going to test drive a car make sure you have cover.

I can completely understand someone doing an emergency run to a hospital, dying relative,burning house etc, but not going home from a night on the piss or driving a car that could be a death trap as far as you know on the bases that if it works out to be ok you might buy it.

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

To be fair the test driving a car I was buying I got really surprised.
It was first car I wanted to buy in Ireland. I checked with Aviva how much insurance would cost me, and being satisfied I could afford it I went to see few cars.
I couldn't believe when owner told me that during test drive his insurance wouldn't cover me. But he told me I'll be grand so I did test drive. It was actually on 3 different cars.

How could I suspect, that insurance covers only car owner to drive it?
It's not something you know before you actually read throughly the insurance policy or someone tells you this.

Read your insurance policy? If you are not insured don't test drive it, or offer to pay for the owner to extend his policy for open drive?

CiniO

Profiler wrote: »

Get a taxi.

Taxis don't go everywhere.

No, you ask the person selling if their policy has open driving, if it dosen't then you don't test drive. It's not as if there is only one second hand car for sale in Ireland.

Please...
How many cars in Ireland have open driving policy? 0.001% maybe.
It's impossible to find one.

You listed two very flimsy situations both of which were very VERY easy to get around and be fully insured.

No they might not be. Check my other post.

The MIBI will have investigated if the uninsured person had means to pay them back, however if he didn't why thrown good money after bad pursuing someone who is broke for money they don't have.

Everyone has some money. Even the biggest claim can be refunded if being paid by little sums over next 30 years.

That is not how it happens in the rest of the EU, not sure if you are ill informed or just making things up.

I know many countries where it works like this.

It's not that you didn't have a choice, you just didn't try hard enough.

I couldn't try harder. What else could I do?

ants09

Ok i am talking about a indivual who takes the keys to move a car in a private car park and scratches your car in doing so.

Lets say he hasnt a driving licence or insured to drive the car and he doesnt notice or didnt care that he scratch your car.

Lets say the garda's were notified.

Would you still love to name and shame the xxxxer or what would you do to the arsehole idiot sob (imo)

CiniO

Stheno wrote: »

Yes I cannot abide people driving uninsured.



Switch your insurance temporarily/have open drive? I've done both test driving cars.

That's what I do now. I have my third party extension and so no bother.
But when I was buying the first car, I didn't have any insurance policy, as I couldn't get one without a car.

1. Have open drive on your policy?
2. Get a taxi? Hard to believe that anywhere is more than 20km from a taxi these days?
3. Stay in a b and b?
4. Ring another friend/partner for a lift?

As I said earlier (and that was real life example). No taxis. No bnb. No houses. No phone coverage. I didn't have any policy. So all your points are out of the question.

Profiler

Yawns wrote: »

To be fair there are certain circumstances where by you cannot get insured on a car. Such as if you want to test drive for a few minutes in a private sale. You can't take a policy out and the seller might not have open drive or your own policy might not cover 3rd party extension for driving other vehicles.

Don't do a test drive when you are uninsured. How simple a concept is that.

If you spending money on a car then bring along a professional mechanic who will have a trade policy which will cover him to drive the car.

Why break the law just because you can't be bothered to be properly prepared.

Yawns wrote: »

Not saying to go drive around the place all the time bit I wouldn't get upset if I knew that my neighbour was selling a car and the buyer took it for a short drive around the block for example.

You'd be upset if that neighbors uninsured car hit yours and the neighbors insurers said, tough no cover no claim and the MIBI told you that you have to pay the first €440 of the damage to your own car.

Yawns wrote: »

Or like my example of where I would move a parents car out of the way so I can get my car out of the driveway, then move the parents car back in. If the parent was there I'd ask them to move but if they were out in the pub or something I wouldn't bat an eyelid about it.

If you or your parents don't have driving other cars cover then arrange your parking better.

Laziness is no excuse for not being insured.

Stheno

I'm sorry, but I cannot believe the amount of people here happy to post that they have/would drive uninsured.

I'm no saint, and regularly speed, or don't pay my tax until it's a week or two into the month it's due to be renewed, but no insurance?

I'd literally not move my car with no insurance.

I'd not live with myself if I did so and caused serious injury/death to someone whilst driving uninsured.

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

Taxis don't go everywhere.

Then don't end up in those places without transport home.

CiniO wrote: »

Please...
How many cars in Ireland have open driving policy? 0.001% maybe.
It's impossible to find one.

It's a lot more than 0.001% so before you use it as an excuse, fact check it.

CiniO wrote: »

I know many countries where it works like this.

Name these many countries please.

CiniO wrote: »

I couldn't try harder. What else could I do?

A great deal.

CiniO

Profiler, Stehno, and Rustynut.

All you are writing looks great as written text.
However life is not that simple, and believe me or not there are situations where arranging cover is impossible and even each one of you would probably drive uninsured if you were in hard situation (and I don't mean medical emergency or sth).


You can obviously keep saying your righteous stuff on forum allright.

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

Profiler, Stehno, and Rustynut.

All you are writing looks great as written text.
However life is not that simple, and believe me or not there are situations where arranging cover is impossible and even each one of you would probably drive uninsured if you were in hard situation (and I don't mean medical emergency or sth).


You can obviously keep saying your righteous stuff on forum allright.

I can tell you that in nine years of driving both as a provisional and fully licenced driver I have never once driven uninsured.

I've always had cover on my car/partners car, and never once had to drive uninsured for test driving etc.

Going out, I always make sure I have lifts/people to call on, or alternative accomodation, I used work in a company where Christmas parties etc were always down the country, and made appropriate arrangements.

Or else, I simply didn't drink?

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

However life is not that simple, and believe me or not there are situations where arranging cover is impossible and even each one of you would probably drive uninsured if you were in hard situation (and I don't mean medical emergency or sth).

Arranging cover is NEVER impossible.

On the test drive, you know well in advance of any test drive that your intention is to buy a car so why not prepare properly?

CiniO wrote: »

You can obviously keep saying your righteous stuff on forum allright.

You can keep inventing imaginary situations where you think driving uninsured is warranted... it's not warranted.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

Profiler, Stehno, and Rustynut.

All you are writing looks great as written text.
However life is not that simple, and believe me or not there are situations where arranging cover is impossible and even each one of you would probably drive uninsured if you were in hard situation (and I don't mean medical emergency or sth).


You can obviously keep saying your righteous stuff on forum allright.

Going home from a night on the lash and test driving cars are not hard situations which excuse driving without insurance.

CiniO

Profiler wrote: »

Arranging cover is NEVER impossible.

Insurance companies don't work 24/7.
It is impossible nearly always during the night when all callcentres or brokers are closed.
In sudden need for cover, you can't arrange it.

On the test drive, you know well in advance of any test drive that your intention is to buy a car so why not prepare properly?

So seriously answer me please - how?
If you don't have your own insurance how can you arrange to have you covered if you have say 5 cars to see and choose the best from the to buy?
Don't tell me to ask sellers to add me onto their policy, as they just won't be able to do it.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

Insurance companies don't work 24/7.
It is impossible nearly always during the night when all callcentres or brokers are closed.
In sudden need for cover, you can't arrange it.




So seriously answer me please - how?
If you don't have your own insurance how can you arrange to have you covered if you have say 5 cars to see and choose the best from the to buy?
Don't tell me to ask sellers to add me onto their policy, as they just won't be able to do it.

As was said earlier bring a mechanic with a trade policy.

Stheno

Do Poland insure the car and not the driver Cinio?

Profiler

CiniO wrote: »

Insurance companies don't work 24/7.
It is impossible nearly always during the night when all callcentres or brokers are closed. In sudden need for cover, you can't arrange it.

If you repeatedly find yourself in those situations then ensure you buy driving other cars cover. This is about YOU driving uninsured nobody else.

CiniO wrote: »

So seriously answer me please - how?
If you don't have your own insurance how can you arrange to have you covered if you have say 5 cars to see and choose the best from the to buy?
Don't tell me to ask sellers to add me onto their policy, as they just won't be able to do it.

If you don't have insurance don't drive. If the seller isn't trust worthy enough to have cover for you when you test drive are they really trust worthy enough to hand over hard earned cash?

The test drive is a really REALLY poor excuse for driving without cover.

CiniO

Stheno wrote: »

Do Poland insure the car and not the driver Cinio?

Every car is insured that everyone can drive it.

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

As was said earlier bring a mechanic with a trade policy.

OK. Everything can be done once you have plenty of cash to spare.
But if you don't - what's the choice then?

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

Every car is insured that everyone can drive it.

Ok I can see how you would find our system confusing then

CiniO wrote: »

OK. Everything can be done once you have plenty of cash to spare.
But if you don't - what's the choice then?

Apart from making sure the car you are in has open drive, or that you are added as a named driver, none.

Just don't drive.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

OK. Everything can be done once you have plenty of cash to spare.
But if you don't - what's the choice then?

Don't drive.

CiniO

Profiler wrote: »

If you repeatedly find yourself in those situations then ensure you buy driving other cars cover. This is about YOU driving uninsured nobody else.

This was actually one of the first nights I spent in this country.
I didn't know anything about local rules and law. I didn't have Irish car insurance policy. I generally didn't know much about anything here.

If you don't have insurance don't drive. If the seller isn't trust worthy enough to have cover for you when you test drive are they really trust worthy enough to hand over hard earned cash?

If you were selling old banger for 1k, would you organize a cover for potential buyer?

The test drive is a really REALLY poor excuse for driving without cover.

And it wouldn't have to be if insurance system was normal like in other EU countries.

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

If you were selling old banger for 1k, would you organize a cover for potential buyer?


And it wouldn't have to be if insurance system was normal like in other EU countries.

TO be honest, it's not that difficult to add a temporary driver, I've had to do it when hiring a van, it costs very little and takes about five minutes

Our system iirc is the same as the Uk, it just varies depending on the country.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

Every car is insured that everyone can drive it.

This is the way it should be, a much better system.

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

Don't drive.

OK - I'll put it clear.
If I didn't have a car I couldn't find a job in Ireland.
If I didn't find a job here, I couldn't live here.
If I didn't live here, we wouldn't probably be discussing on this forum.

If you are moving to foreign country, it's always hard at the beginning.

Stheno

CiniO wrote: »

OK - I'll put it clear.
If I didn't have a car I couldn't find a job in Ireland.
If I didn't find a job here, I couldn't live here.
If I didn't live here, we wouldn't probably be discussing on this forum.

If you are moving to foreign country, it's always hard at the beginning.

And that's why it's important to check out stuff like that when you move to a different country.

Even if you just travel abroad frequently for work, like I and several of my friends do, it's important to make sure you know the basics.

Stupid stuff like having the relevant documentation to avail of health insurance, and knowing how car insurance works in the country, even when it comes to hiring a car there are differences between countries.

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

OK - I'll put it clear.
If I didn't have a car I couldn't find a job in Ireland.
If I didn't find a job here, I couldn't live here.
If I didn't live here, we wouldn't probably be discussing on this forum.

If you are moving to foreign country, it's always hard at the beginning.

I feel your pain on the foreign country bit, the policja got their zlotys out of me during the 90's when I was bringing computers there from dell in Shannon. Still don't think I done anything wrong but Pay up and keep going was company policy then.

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

I feel your pain on the foreign country bit, the policja got their zlotys out of me during the 90's when I was bringing computers there from dell in Shannon. Still don't think I done anything wrong but Pay up and keep going was company policy then.

What did they fine you for?
Were you driving foreign registered car?

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

What did they fine you for?
Were you driving foreign registered car?

Driving an Irish truck. Got done once for speeding, guilty on that, some paperwork issue the other time think I got scammed that time.That was not police but some other agency.

CiniO

RustyNut wrote: »

Driving an Irish truck. Got done once for speeding, guilty on that, some paperwork issue the other time think I got scammed that time.That was not police but some other agency.

Could be guys in green (ITD - "Inspekcja transportu drogowego" which means "road transport inspection") which is institution responsible for controlling trucks and buses on the roads, and their adherence to all road transport rules and regulations including all paperwork, licenses and tachographs. They are commonly called "crocodiles" due to green colour
I strongly believe they could scamly fined someone in Irish registered truck in the 90's for some imaginary lack of paperwork.
But I doubt the fine was hefty...

RustyNut

CiniO wrote: »

Could be guys in green (ITD - "Inspekcja transportu drogowego" which means "road transport inspection") which is institution responsible for controlling trucks and buses on the roads, and their adherence to all road transport rules and regulations including all paperwork, licenses and tachographs. They are commonly called "crocodiles" due to green colour
I strongly believe they could scamly fined someone in Irish registered truck in the 90's for some imaginary lack of paperwork.
But I doubt the fine was hefty...

That was the them, had no zlotys 50 DM's and waved on with a big smile.

Henry Ford III

CiniO wrote: »

It's not uninsured drivers that worry me.

It's the system which encourages people to drive uninsured.

Firstly there are so many occasions where people drive uninsured (short term) just because it's too much hassle or nearly impossible to be insured.
F.e. you are driving going back from somewhere, but you were drinking. You don't want to drive under the influence, so you ask you friend to drive your car. He is not insured to do so, but it's only short distance, and it would be impossible to contact your insurer at 3 in the morning to add him to your policy. He just chances it and drives.
Or you are buying secondhand car privately and want to test drive it. If your policy won't cover it, you are pretty much forced to test drive it uninsured.
List of such situations which happened to everyone quite often could be very long.

Secondly, uninsured drivers don't really suffer any consequences of their behaviour.
I was talking once to a person who caused an accident uninsured. Yes - he was prosecuted allright for driving uninsured. But who paid for the claim? MIBI did. And they didn't bother recovering that money from person who was driving uninsured.
So he eventually ended up better, because he didn't give a hell about the fact that he was prosecuted, and it definitely cost him less than insruance policy would cost him.
So in general who paid for the claim? We all paid it - all people who honestly pay they insurance.
Madness.
In any other country in EU if person caused accident uninsured, then obviously claim would be paid by organisation like MIBI, but they would recover every single penny from that person. Possibly person would have to sell his house to pay for it. Or otherwise he/she would have to pay in small installments to the end of their life.
Can't understand why doesn't it work like this in Ireland.

I must admit that for 8 years driving in Poland before I moved here, I've never ever driven uninsured. Even if I wanted to do it, it would be very hard.
Since I moved to Ireland, sometimes I had to drive uninsured, as it was pretty much impossible to arrange cover. I didn't want to do it, but pretty much I didn't have a choice.

Nobody ever has to drive uninsured CiniO.

If you drive to the pub and fancy a pint leave the car there and get a bus/taxi, or walk, or get someone pick you up, or have an insured designated driver.

MIBI will always seek to recover their costs. Things like houses are protected here, and a court won't order a property sold if a wife & kids live in it.

p.s. You mention frequently how wonderful Poland is by comparison to Ireland. If it was that good what are you living here for?

djimi

Ive been driving for nearly 12 years; 9 of those while living out in the backarse of nowhere. Not once have I ever found myself in a situation where I was compelled to drive uninsured. Barring genuine emergencies there is no excuse for it, and the ones that have been mentioned in this thread are flimsy at best.

Your mate is too pissed to drive home? Tough ****, get a taxi or call someone to come pick you up. If you are that much out in the sticks with no other way home then your designated driver should not be drinking in the first place.

You want to test drive a car? Bring a mechanic/insured friend/family member along to drive the car. Cant arrange this? Find somewhere that is not a public road to test drive the car.