The AA is warning Irish drivers to make sure they find out and safely store their driver number before new legislation kicks in at the end of March.
What is my driver number?
Your driver number is a relatively recent addition to Irish licencing systems, and it can be found in field 4d on the front of the Irish plastic card licence. It’s a unique identifier that makes sure you can validate your identity. It contains nine digits and no letters, and it’s designed to ensure that you are who you say you are when dealing with any sort of officialdom surrounding your car.
Why is the AA in such a flap about it?
It’s especially important for insurance purposes, and that’s why the incoming new legislation is so critical - from the 31st of March: “under the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023, all insurers and intermediaries acting on their behalf must ensure that they collect driver number data and validate it against the Department’s national vehicle database. This change is a legal requirement, and it applies to all car insurance policies transacted in Ireland, regardless of the insurance provider. Failure to provide the driver number will mean motorists will not be able to renew their car insurance. Drivers will need to provide all driver numbers, including those of additional named drivers, if they are changing insurers or adjusting an existing policy, such as adding a named driver.”
That’s a big change, and it basically means that without your driver number, you can’t get insurance, and so it logically follows that you can’t drive. However, it seems that far too few of us are aware of the upcoming changes. You’ll need to inform your current insurer of your driver number by the 31st of March, and then make sure you use it when renewing or changing your insurance from now on.
What happens next?
Elena Leao, Marketing & PR, AA Ireland, said, “We are now just weeks away from this change coming into effect, yet awareness remains alarmingly low. Many drivers could find themselves unable to renew their car insurance simply because they were not properly informed. There is a real risk that motorists will be caught out at renewal time, something that could have serious consequences, including being unable to legally drive their vehicle.”
According to the AA, the data - your driver number and your insurance details - must then be transferred to the Irish Motor Insurance Database (IMID). The main objective of the IMID is to keep uninsured drivers off Irish roads. An Garda Síochána can access the IMID through their mobility devices, enabling them to identify drivers without insurance. The addition of driver numbers will further strengthen road safety initiatives in Ireland. The AA says that it welcomes and commends this initiative.
“This is an important step for road safety, but it is crucial that motorists act now. If you haven’t updated your driver number yet, don’t wait until renewal. Check your policy today to ensure you’re compliant before the deadline,” said Leao.