The number of uninsured vehicles on Irish roads has reached record levels.
There were 164,000 were recorded last year, according to figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland - an increase of almost 14,000 compared with 2018.
They now account for roughly 7.6% of all vehicles on our roads.
It comes as gardaí continue to trial a new automatic detection system which is expected to be fully rolled out this year.
"We estimate that one in 13 of every private vehicle on the road is uninsured," said David Fitzgerald, head of the MIBI.
"It's very alarming," he added, "that's why this new technology is so important.
"It will tighten the net on uninsured drivers.
"A jump of almost 14,000 uninsured vehicles in a single year is a statistic that should worry every single Irish road user," he added.
Uninsured drivers are a threat to road safety for the law abiding majority of private vehicle drivers, making Irish roads less safe.
