This follows from an audit by the Supreme Audit Office (SAO) of the Slovak Republic, which looked at how 28 selected district offices handled this issue in 2018-2023. "The findings of the auditors are so alarming that we can only recommend that the Ministry of Finance, in cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior, prepare completely new rules for an effective and efficient sanction system against those owners who, for various, even speculative reasons, do not take out car insurance and endanger not only property but also the health of other road users," says the head of the national auditors, Ľubomír Andrassy. 

During the six audited years, the Slovak Insurance Office reported more than 1.8 million cases of motor vehicle owners' failure to take out compulsory insurance to the relevant district authorities. However, the district authorities imposed only 32 640 fines in the same period, totalling more than EUR 3.8 million. However, only less than 44 % of this amount was eventually recovered. 

Thus, the state is losing out on several million euros a year that could be actively used to improve road users' safety. This could contribute positively to reducing road accidents with tragic consequences. In the current system, responsible motorists cover damage caused by non-payers with their insurance. At the same time, paying motorists contribute to a special account of the Ministry of the Interior, which should pay for various projects and activities related to improving road safety.

The full text of the press release about this issue in Slovak language is available here.