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MORE THAN A quarter of Irish drivers have had their car damaged by an unidentified driver and almost 7 per cent have had their vehicle damaged by an uninsured driver, the AA has revealed.
An AA Motor Insurance poll of over 9,800 people has found that motorists in Co Monaghan are more likely to encounter uninsured drivers, with more than 11 per cent saying that an uninsured driver had damaged their car at some point.
“It can be really frustrating when someone damages your car and doesn’t own up,” said Director of Consumer Affairs Conor Faughnan. “It might be in a supermarket car park or on the road side, or even while you are driving, but it has happened to more than a quarter of us at some stage and it is really unfair.”
Co Cavan appears to be another hotspot for uninsured drivers, with nearly 10 per cent of motorists claiming they have been affected. Meanwhile, Westmeath found 8.4 per cent of motorists were affected at some stage, closely followed by Longford with 8.2 per cent. Motorists in Tipperary had the highest score in Munster (8.7 pert cent), while those in Galway topped the poll for Connacht (7.7 per cent).
Faughnan said the issue of uninsured drivers was even more serious, with a “reckless minority” of drivers willing to take the risk and break the law. That irresponsible minority adds up to €40 to the cost that motorists pay for their insurance cover, he pointed out.
While the problem is ongoing, it does tend to get worse in recessionary times, according to Faughnan. “When an uninsured driver causes damage, compensation is paid by the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland. That body acts as the insurance company and pays the cost, but we all pick up the tab for it and it’s pushing up the price for the 95 per cent of us who pay for motor insurance every year.”
“This is an ongoing problem that needs to be a focus for the Garda. It can be an honest mistake, for example if a husband changes policy and forgets to include his wife. But more often it is people who know full well what they are doing and are reckless enough not to care,” he said.
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sure if they say they’re Irish….get the Irish media on/ board they’ll be back in temple bar for christmas
@Frank Dubogovik: That’s a bit silly.
What ever happened to that Irish lad from the same brotherhood, who said he was going to fight and bring them all here.
@Gavin R:
He was treated like a prince on the Late Late…
This guy is a military General having come to power in a military coup backed by the CIA and US military. The courts are meer extensions of that military rule and these trials are a sham.
@Charles Williams: the alternative is not some shining utopia with freedom for all.
The alternative is the aftermath of Iraq and Libya.
The Muslim Brotherhood is not our friend. It’s no rational person, Muslim or otherwise friend.
He is keeping his country together.
@Fiasco99: “brutal dictatorships where the police torture suspects as standard procedure are fine with me because the alternative could be worse”
Jesus wept.
@Fiasco99: that alternative was voted in by democratic election. Just because you, or more importantly, the US Americans don’t like who the Egyptians voted for doesn’t mean they can set up a coup d’etat and irradicate democracy.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin:
Suggest you learn a bit about Morsi’s conduct when in office – ordinary Egyptians turned against him when it became clear that his intention was to destroy the very democracy that got him elected in the first place so that he couldn’t be challenged.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin:
This is a good starting point for you, I’ll let you do the rest for yourself:
https://cihrs.org/one-year-into-morsis-presidencymanifold-abuses-and-systematic-undermining-of-the-rule-of-law/?lang=en
@mattoid: cheers for the link. I’m guessing that article from 5 years ago before the Yanks irradicated democracy and put their puppet in power is the most recent one you’ve read from the very website you posted. Go ‘home’ on that site and you’ll see a picture of Egypt that is a lot worse under el-sisi.
@Cormac Ó Braonáin: horrible governments bent indestructible have been voted into many countries. I’m glad when they fall.
The brotherhood were democratically elected. But there was never going to be another election.
The brotherhood placed the Luxor masacare organiser as the governor of a state. They were more oppressive than Sisi I has been. They were a perverted regeneration that deserves to fall.
I am glad Egypt has avoided the chaos.
So much for free legal aid in Egypt.
@Jams O’ Donnell: the Yanks are in control there now. Irradicated democracy by setting up the coup d’etat. Now controls the border to Gaza and occupied Palestine.
Ah! Well! Only one was a real Bad(d)ie!!!
Its interesting how the democratically elected Brotherhood are the murderers and the coup leaders the lawmakers. If you believe in democracy you have to question this so called trial. If you believe in democracy you must respect the democratic vote. If you believe in demcoracy you must be against foreign interference in Egypt which overthrew the elected government.
We are continually being sold the story that there is only one democracy in the middle east. I wonder why?
have your say