Ireland’s major motor insurers state that they will no longer provide cover for cars beyond 15 years old. AA Ireland is offering advice for such affected motorists. Whether you’re seeking quotes over the phone or buying car insurance online, finding cover for older cars has proven difficult in recent years. However, the good news is that there are still many car insurance providers in Ireland who will cover you, including AA Car Insurance.
This is part of a bigger problem affecting the motor insurance industry as a whole. Prices are rising sharply for everyone: normal, standard risks are producing annual increases of up to 20%, while non-standard risks (including older cars) are prompting much higher premiums. New customers will also have fewer providers to choose from.
What can consumers do to insure older cars?
It’s time worn advice but do shop around. Even as prices go up there is still good and bad relative value to be had. Do please try the AA while you are at it.
Don’t look only at price. It obviously matters but look also at what’s included in the
car insurance policy. Protected no claims discount or windscreen cover are benefits that are worth hanging on to.
Why is the price of car insurance going up so much?
There are a few things going on, some of which are understandable and some that are less so. Traffic volumes have increased rapidly, thus resulting in more crashes and more exposure. There is also evidence to suggest that the cost of settling claims for injuries is growing. Fraud is a huge issue in the insurance industry, and one that has been tolerated for too long but is in fact driving up typical policies by at least €50. Levies are also included in policies to cover previous disasters such as the Quinn collapse, which resulted in a 5% increase.
However, another huge factor is that insurance was sold below cost for a number of years. Providers were fighting to keep their share of the profit but came up fruitless in under-writing terms. This activity is unsustainable and has resulted in a collective price hike.
What does the AA want done about it?
There ought to be a much tougher regime when it comes to insurance provider’s tolerance of fraud. That includes how companies share data, a practice that will act as a preventative measure and quell fraud at its source. A regime that encompasses Garda detection, policing of the issue and court dealings with fraudsters in the aftermath would greatly stabilise the industry as a whole.
Address the rising cost of claims
The Injuries Board (injuriesboard.ie) has worked well for ten years at keeping legal and unnecessary costs out of the claims process. This requires a review due to the changing nature of the industry. Presently, courts are allowed to award higher pay-outs for personal injuries which results in the rise of unnecessary costs that are not part of the victim’s initial compensation.
Less crashes on Irish roads
Though it’s not exactly rocket science we know that when we invest in the number of roadside Gardaí, the number of collisions reduces. The evidence is more pointed in the case of fatalities and very serious injuries, but their presence also reduces the volume of smaller crashes as well.
In recent years, the AA was warning that Gardaí numbers on the road were deteriorating unacceptably and that this was a contributory factor to the increased number of crashes on Irish roads. While efforts are underway to reverse this trend, government investment in Garda manpower and resources much continue if we are to continue to reduce the number of fatalities on Irish roads in the coming years.
What can you do about the cost of your car insurance?
Follow AA Advice on how you can lower your car insurance premiums
here.
So is your car over 15 years old? Good news, you can still get a quote online with AA
Car Insurance Online.
Image:
Creative Domain Photography
