The Department of Transport and the Road Safety Authority (RSA), has launched a public consultation process, seeking the views of interested parties prior to the formulation of proposals relating to the regulation of written-off vehicles in Ireland.

This follows the 2008 introduction of a new administrative system to deal with write offs. Consideration is now being given to a formal legislative framework for managing write offs.

The consultation document “Regulating Written-off Vehicles”, sets out Ireland’s current policy and considers best practice internationally and seeks the input of stakeholders on regulation, classification and safety issues associated with written-off vehicles.

Clearly defining write off categories is seen as key to this process. Concerns over vehicle safety obviously take priority in the process, but from a repair industry stand point, it will be important that any new framework also takes into account differences between vehicles that need to be written off for safety reasons and vehicles that are repairable but are “written off” by insurance companies, as part of a cost minimisation administrative process.

You can find out more about the consultation process at www.rsa.ie.