Could you be driving an ‘un-roadworthy’ car, and not know a thing about it? This was the serious question posed by RTÉ’s Prime Time last night.
According to an investigation carried out by the current affairs programme, the Republic of Ireland has become a destination for car write-offs deemed unfit for repair in other countries.
The show explored the topic of Category B write-offs – cars deemed unfit for driving or repair – which are being brought into the market here from countries such as the UK and Australia.
The Prime Time team revealed that while it is illegal to import a Category B car and register it for use here, a lack of appropriate legislation is making it possible for these cars to be brought in by dealers and sold to unsuspecting drivers.
RTE Investigations Unit discovered a Micra car which was written off twice! Surely it would be impossible to insure...... #rtept
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) May 10, 2016
If a Cat B car is involved in an accident, insurers will likely pay only a fraction of the value of its roadworthy equivalent #rtept
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) May 10, 2016
Previous transport ministers, Leo Varadkar and Paschal Donohue, proposed legal controls on write offs but they didn’t happened #rtept
— RTÉ Prime Time (@RTE_PrimeTime) May 10, 2016
Although car dealers are legally obligated to reveal the full truth about the car’s history, some are not abiding by the rules.
This has been compounded by the fact that, despite previous promises to make it illegal to drive a Category B write-off, such legislation has still not been enacted.
Without knowledge that a car is a Category B write-off, an insurer may go ahead and take on a car, only for the truth to emerge after an accident – dramatically reducing the pay-out to the driver.
The report just goes to show how important it is to get all of the relevant information regarding a newly-purchased vehicle. If you are in any doubt as to your car’s history, be sure to get a second opinion from a relevant professional.
