Only around one in three fleet vehicles has been added to the National Fleet Database, according to the latest figures from the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Ireland and the Road Safety Authority.
It comes just over two weeks ahead of the deadline at the end of the month for fleet owners, managers and motor traders to add their vehicles to the register.
The figures show that of the estimated 250,000 vehicles that are due to be placed on the database, details for just under 92,000 have been added to date.
That leaves around 160,000 vehicles that have yet to be registered.
Under the Road Traffic and Roads Act (2023), the details for all vehicles operating under flexible motor insurance policies - usually used for fleet vehicles and motor traders – must be uploaded to the national database by the end of November.
It is the legal responsibility of the relevant fleet owner, manager or motor trader to ensure compliance.
Flexible motor insurance policies are used by a range of operators, including garages and motor traders who sell vehicles, as well as fleets of trucks, buses, coaches, taxis, and other vehivles.
They are also commonly used by transport and logistic providers, service vehicles as well as the vehicles operated by retailers, service providers, semi state operations among others.
Failure to upload vehicle registrations to the NFD by 30 November could result in legal sanctions.
This includes having vehicles identified as being uninsured by gardaí, as well as additional penalties for non-compliance, such as potentially facing prosecution in the District Court and being subjected to fines of up to €500 per vehicle.
"When you look at the numbers it is clear there are still a lot of fleet vehicles or motor trade vehicles that are yet to be added to the database," MIBI chief executive David Fitzgerald said.
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"Based on the latest figures an estimated 160,000 vehicles will need to be added before the end of the month or the relevant fleet owners/ managers and motor traders will face legal penalties. We would encourage all fleet owners, motor traders or anyone with fleet style, flexible, motor insurance policies to not delay and to upload their vehicle registration details to the NFD as soon as possible, " he added.
Road Safety Authority CEO Sam Wade said compliance with the regulations would help in the battle against uninsured driving as well as improving road safety.
Separate figures from the MIBI have shown that Ireland had the second highest level of uninsured driving in the EU in 2021 with the number rising in 2022 to 1 in every 12 vehicles on Irish roads having no insurance.
The vehicle data on the NFD will be combined with the same information for private vehicles and used by An Garda Síochána to identify vehicles which are being driven illegally without insurance.
