Cartell’s new UK & Irish write-off database was unveiled recently in

Dublin. Insurers in Ireland can also now access write-off data (according to the extent of the damage of write-off) using the UK Category A to D System.

This is the first cross-border data accessing initiative of its kind in Europe. The number of imported vehicles from the United Kingdom in the Irish fleet is approximately 400,000. The number of those imports which have previous write-off status, according to cartell.ie, is almost 10%.

A Category A, B or C write off, in the UK, will have that fact documented on the UK logbook or V5, but this data was unavailable to the Irish insurers until now.

The initiative, started in conjunction with Irish insurers over two years ago, will allow Irish insurers to use the data at underwriting and at risk assessment stages.

Further, the new initiative introduces the MIAFTR UK (Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register) code of practice for the disposal of motor vehicle salvage in the Republic of Ireland. For the first time this allows Irish insurers to both categorise their write-off data and to share that data with other insurers.

A proof of concept was carried out between Irish insurers. The lead insurer was AVIVA. Cartell.ie and MIAFTR UK found multiple accounts of fraud, including where previously damaged UK vehicles were involved in staged accidents in the Republic of Ireland with identical damage resulting.

As part of this data-sharing, Irish insurers agreed to release write-off data to the public via an independent third party for the first time, bringing it into line with its UK equivalent.

This new category system paves the way for legislation in Ireland to implement the Vehicle Identification Check (VIC).