BE CAREFUL WHEN driving on the M50 – not just for your own safety, but because you may find yourself with a hefty bill if you have an accident which causes damage to the motorway.

In the event of an accident on the M50, roadway damage you cause gets recovered from your insurance company, according to M50 Concessions Ltd (M50 CL) which oversees the motorway.

A Wicklow man who had an accident on the M50 motorway in which he was lucky to escape unscathed received quite a shock in the post when he got a bill for €18,000. His car had caused considerable damage to a side barrier that runs along the side of the M50.

M50 CL operates and maintains the M50 through a Public-private partnership (PPP) contract with the National Roads Authority.

A spokesperson for the National Roads Authority told TheJournal.ie that as they understood it, damage caused in accidents where the driver is at fault they are liable for the damage. While if there is no identifiable person or cause for the accident the state foots the bill.

Speaking to TheJournal.ie M50 CL said the state would foot the bill on national roads managed by the local authority, while under PPP contracts the operator would be responsible for the repair and the costs associated.

They added that in events of roadway damage caused by identified third parties, M50 CL looks to recover its losses through communications with the third party’s insurance company only.

However when asked who would foot the bill if the driver had no insurance they said that the costs can be reclaimed from the MIBI (Motor Insurers Bureau Of Ireland) which provides compensation for damage caused by uninsured and unidentified vehicles.

While a bill for €18000 may seem hefty the M50 CL states:

The limit to be charged is the actual cost of repairing the damage caused.

They added they will always pursue an identified third party’s insurer for damage caused to M50 roadway elements for which M50CL is responsible for maintaining.

When asked what was the procedure in the case where a fatal road accident occurred causing damage they said that “fortunately, to date we have not had a fatal accident on the road we are responsible for maintaining”.