We all know that Northern Ireland has been associated with some kind of social unrest; it is a place tormented by troubles and social issues, getting a reputation of a place that is unsafe. Of course, none of these is true, and doesn’t reflect the current reality in Northern Ireland, a place friendly and peaceful, fun and nice. However, none of us considers the true repercussions of this reputation and these troubles that made the country suffer for years. For the residents of Northern Ireland, there are still issued that are unresolved and aggravated by the mess of the previous decades. Northern Ireland insurance policy has been seriously affected by these troubles, and premiums are higher just because the region is still considered of “high risk”, even after so many years.
There were indeed times in Northern Ireland when everything was in disarray and there were numerous lawless actions and reactions. During those times there were much vandalism, much destruction, many thefts, and several criminal activities against cars, people, houses, businesses. Cars and motorbikes would burn all night in the streets of Belfast, while people would lose enormous amounts of money due to damages caused to their private or professional properties. It comes as no surprise that companies doing business in Northern Ireland would charge exorbitant prices for insurance policies, double or triple times higher than in other regions such as Wales or England.
Of course times changed and Northern Ireland found its peace; however, these prices remained to remind everyone of a guilty past. Since mid nineties, there is some significant amount of time of peace and calmness in the region. Today, insurance companies still charge these huge prices, while in England the prices are very competitive and significantly lower. The guilty past of Northern Ireland doesn’t allow it to follow the rules of other countries, or regions within the UK. Even the best drivers in Northern Ireland are forced to pay extremely high prices, although if they were in England they would certainly qualify for a series of deductibles.
Are the standards still poorer in Northern Ireland? They are better than they used to be many years ago; but the premiums remain as high as they were and the economy is seriously affected by this. A few measures are necessary to ensure that drivers are indeed qualified and that the conditions of living are much better than they used to be. Northern Ireland insurance policies need to change and follow the same route as the country does.