Car vandalised - insurance and driving licence requested

emeralds

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My car was vandalised a couple of weeks ago, whilst parked on a residential road. Gardai were notified and came to the address, checked local cctv etc and were unable to identify the perpetrator.
I subsequently got a phone call asking me to send my insurance cert and driving licence to the station involved. Is this unusual?
 
Why would it be unusual, you're obliged by law to have it. Also shows the authorities that it is you. Why do you seem to suggest it's unusual?
 
If its parked up, and not being driven, why the need to produce? I don't see the need to produce under those circumstances..
Parked up where, on the roadside? Maybe a clean windscreen raised doubts! I've no idea, but I wouldn't have a problem being asked if everything was in order.
 
Not all residential roads are private. Some are public roads. If its on a public road and parked up it still needs valid tax (and probably insurance also). I imagine its standard procedure
 
Not all residential roads are private.
The Road Traffic Act also applies in public places which includes a lot of private property:


“public place” means any street, road or other place to which the public have access with vehicles whether as of right or by permission and whether subject to or free of charge;
 
It's standard procedure for them to take details of all parties involved, refusal to provide is an offence.
 
Agree, but, under the circumstances outlined, I still don't see the requirement to produce in that situation. Is it an offence to park your vehicle on the road if not insured, news to me if it is.
 
Agree, but, under the circumstances outlined, I still don't see the requirement to produce in that situation. Is it an offence to park your vehicle on the road if not insured, news to me if it is.
I'd imagine it is. If you parked it, you drove it without insurance.
 
Agree, but, under the circumstances outlined, I still don't see the requirement to produce in that situation. Is it an offence to park your vehicle on the road if not insured, news to me if it is.
Yes, it is an offence. Depending on factors like the location, sight-lines etc, a parked car could be deemed to be partially at fault for any incident that occurs. In the absence of injury, the Gardai leave it to the insurers to decide fault, but they gather the details of those involved in case it goes further later on.
 
Agree, but, under the circumstances outlined, I still don't see the requirement to produce in that situation. Is it an offence to park your vehicle on the road if not insured, news to me if it is.

yes it is. If you declare the car as "off the road" then it must be parked on private property. If it is not declared as off the road and is parked on a public road then it must be insured.

Regardless of that, it's still curious as to why the Gardai are asking for the details. If your house was burgled, they don't ask for your insurance cert.
 
yes it is. If you declare the car as "off the road" then it must be parked on private property. If it is not declared as off the road and is parked on a public road then it must be insured.

Regardless of that, it's still curious as to why the Gardai are asking for the details. If your house was burgled, they don't ask for your insurance cert.
Because house insurance is not required by law. Car insurance is
 
Hi, I just became a member, so would like to say, but not critize:
I bought my first car about 25 years ago, my friend who called me, to ask to meet him and then showed me a car he wanted to sell. I bought it for 100IEP (it needed work, but was a pretty good car, I did a lot of going in my early days with it) because he needed to get rid of it, he could only park it on the street in Dublin and had no insurance or tax on it. Long before the internet he knew, I knew, my father who died in the 90's knew, my mother never drove a car knew and most people long before the internet knew (it had come up in conversations and once as a young teenager you heard this it made sense): if it's on a public road it has to be taxed and insured (no NCT then). Why would this not be the default position to take now? Sorry, I just had to say this. I would like to say to, when it comes to driving / road legislation the safe and sensible / cautious position usually turns out to be the law. Thanks
 
The car is insured, taxed and has an up to date NCT. All clearly displayed in the windscreen. And it was parked on a residential street in Dublin.
 
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