#625 Is Driving Uninsured Ever Understandable

In this episode, Niall is joined by Daragh Cassidy of Bonkers.ie to unpack the relentless rise in car insurance costs — and the real-life consequences for ordinary families.

The discussion is sparked by a powerful email from a listener who is deeply worried about his brother: a married father of three who, after a minor car accident, saw his insurance jump from €500 to €2,500 a year. Unable to afford the increase — and with no public transport where he lives — the brother has continued driving to work and school runs without insurance, using a fake cert in the windscreen. Not out of recklessness, but desperation.

Niall and Daragh explore why insurance premiums can rise so sharply after even small claims, what options (if any) exist for families pushed to the edge, and whether the system adequately reflects people’s real-world dependence on their cars — especially in rural Ireland.

The episode also opens up a wider moral and social debate. Niall asks listeners directly:

Do you have sympathy for this man’s situation, or is there no justification for driving uninsured — no matter the circumstances?

A tough, nuanced conversation about affordability, risk, responsibility, and how rising costs are forcing people into impossible choices.