1 in 3 Experience Difficultly Finding Affordable Car Insurance

Over a third of Irish motorists have experienced difficult when it comes to finding affordable cover for their car, a recent survey has found.

In response to a survey of over 7,000 Irish motorists undertaken by AA Car Insurance, 13.58% of respondents strongly agreed that they had experienced difficultly finding affordable car insurance for their main vehicle within the past 2 years. Meanwhile, a further 20.38% of those surveyed by the AA stated that they somewhat agreed with this claim.

The findings come after recently released data from the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland found an increase of almost 14,000 in the number of uninsured drivers on Irish roads.

“While some progress has been made in tackling insurance prices for certain cohorts, there is still a great deal of work to be done in this area before the decreases in insurance prices that some are experiencing are seen by a majority of drivers. With many households experiencing financial loss as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, there is the potential that the number of uninsured drivers on Irish roads could continue to climb over the next 12 months,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “Currently the government’s focus is rightly on tackling the COVID-19 outbreak, but as soon as is reasonably possible all those involved in tackling high motor insurance costs across government, the industry and other stakeholders must return to tackling this issue in order to prevent or at least minimise any future spikes in uninsured driving on Irish roads.”

The survey also found that over 15% of people have assisted a family member with their insurance costs in the past year.

9.54% of those surveyed strongly agreed that they had provided assistance to a family member within the past 12 months solely for the purpose of meeting their month car insurance payments. Meanwhile, a further 7.21% somewhat agreed that this was true for them.

“Young drivers in particular are amongst those hardest hit by high insurance costs and as a result may find themselves relying on assistance from a parent or a sibling in order to cover the cost of getting on the road. It’s an unfortunate reality that the cost of learning to drive is front-loaded and premiums for young drivers are likely to be quite high before dropping as you become more experienced,” Faughnan added. “Like any other motorist, shopping around to ensure you’re getting the best deal is crucial. It can also be a good idea to enquire if your insurer offers a specific car insurance product for young drivers which may prove to be more affordable.”

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