New powers to tackle uninsured drivers were set out by road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick last week.
The new measures will make it an offence to keep an uninsured vehicle – rather than just to drive when uninsured – making it easier to catch uninsured drivers.
It is estimated that uninsured and untraced drivers kill 160 people and injure 23,000 every year. Last year a new offence of causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured was introduced.
Jim Fitzpatrick said: "The selfish minority of drivers who refuse to insure their cars push up premiums for other motorists and kill or injure thousands of people each year."
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