THE NEW LEGAL requirement for motorists to provide their driver number when renewing or taking out motor insurance takes effect from today.

From today, it is an offence for an insurance provider or broker to issue motor insurance to anyone if the driver numbers of all named drivers  on the policy are not provided. 

Over 2 million individual driver numbers have already been collected by insurers and these will now be added to the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID). 

Each licensed driver has their own unique driver number, which is listed under section 4(d) on all driver’s licenses. This does not change under any circumstances.

The IMID is intended to improve road safety, by allowing gardaí a clearer insight into any offences committed by drivers.

The driver number is an additional point of information now provided to gardaí, as well various other elements of the driver’s insurance policy. Gardaí can access these details, which include the driver’s insurance provider, address of the policy holder, and the vehicles they are insured on, in seconds via their mobile devices or their Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

Last year, 18,676 vehicles were seized by gardaí for being driven without insurance, following the introduction of the IMID system.

Speaking about the new driver number legal requirement, CEO of the MIBI (Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland) , David Fitzgerald, said, “We would advise anyone who is renewing their motor insurance or taking out a new policy to make sure they have the driver numbers to hand for all the named drivers on their policy.

“From now on, if they don’t have that information then they won’t be able to get motor insurance. It’s that simple.”

Fitzgerald said that the inclusion of driver numbers will allow gardaí to know exactly who they are dealing with and what offences may have been committed by the driver.

“Before, certain drivers may have claimed that the offences were attributed to their namesake. The use of the driver number avoids situations like that arising and we have no doubt this will make it even more difficult for anyone who engages in serial, illegal driving activity to escape the legal consequences of their law breaking actions,” Fitzgerald said.