Almost 18% of private cars on Kildare roads more than 15 years old, study reveals

17.99% of the private cars on the roads of Kildare are more than fifteen years old, according to new analysis from Close Brothers Motor Finance Ireland. 

The data reveals that, of the 118,293 cars across the county, 21,301 have 2010 plates or older. This compares to a national average figure of 20.88% of cars being more than fifteen years old. 

With the UN Environment Programme arguing that ‘ageing cars are bogging down the battle against climate change’ these older vehicles could also be leading to greater CO2 emissions across the county. 

According to EU data, vehicles dating from 2010 emit on average 139.6 grams of CO2 per KM, compared to 80.8 grams for newer vehicles. With the average vehicle in Ireland travelling around 16,000 km per year according to the CSO, older vehicles in Kildare could be contributing to an extra 1,257kg per annum in CO2 emissions. 

Not only this, older cars also have more of an impact on air quality. With Ireland’s Environment Protection Agency having warned last year that Ireland might fall short of WHO air quality targets, Kildare ageing vehicles are not only more prone to breakdown, but could be impacting health and the environment. 

Compared to other counties in Leinster, Kildare is performing better with Dublin, Carlow, and Kilkenny having 20.8%, 21.41% and 20.1% ageing vehicles on their roads respectively. 

Responding to the data, Peter Pedlow, Director of Sales at Close Brothers Motor Finance Ireland, has called for more affordability in the used car market.

Peter said: “Moves towards making driving more sustainable over recent years mean that newer cars are much cleaner and much more efficient than older vehicles. It remains the case however that used car sales far outstrip new car sales in Ireland. 

“It’s crucial then that more is done to allow people to buy newer, cleaner and better quality used vehicles. As it stands nearly a fifth of cars across the Republic are fifteen or more years old and that’s having a real impact on the climate and on air quality.

“The finance sector needs to do more to bring better vehicles to market by backing dealers and taking away some of the risks they face when it comes to vehicles depreciating in price. Ultimately, to drive sustainability, Kildare needs a new set of wheels.”

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