Fake insurance disc draws high praise from gardai as owner receives top marks for effort

Gardai have praised the efforts of a motorist who was caught driving with a fake insurance disc displayed on the windscreen of their car.

In a tongue-in-cheek post on social media, gardai highlighted the detection which was made in the Midlands at the weekend.

"Another day, another fake insurance disc. Gardaí were in Co. Westmeath when their number-plate recognition system alerted them to this uninsured car," they stated.

When the Toyota Avensis car was stopped a short time later, members of the Roads Policing Unit discovered a photocopy of someone else's disc with amended dates.

"10/10 for the effort," reads the post.

Gardai have not publicly disclosed what action, if any, will be taken arising from the detection.

The incident is the latest to be highlighted since gardai were given access to the Irish Motor Insurance Database.

Data on insurance cover for more than three million vehicles is being provided by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland (MIBI) each day as part of the efforts to identify vehicles being driven illegally without insurance.

As part of the agreement, An Garda Síochána receives comprehensive insurance records every night, which provide a real time picture of the insurance details for every private vehicle in the country.

The data includes the name and address of the insurance policy holder, the insurance policy number and validity dates of that policy.