Learner driver plans welcome, but practical problems must be overcome
Issued : Wednesday 1 September, 2010
Statement by Joe Costello TD
Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with responsibility for Trade and Development
The new proposals drawn up by the Road Safety Authority and announced today in relation to learner and inexperienced drivers are welcome in principle and will hopefully help to improve the quality of driving and reduce the number of accidents on our roads. However, there remain a number of important issues to be addressed to make the proposals effective.
Young people make up a disproportionately large number of those either injured or killed on our roads and the changes to the supervision of learner drivers should help counter this worrying trend. The RSA’s measures for a more structured process for training, testing and licensing learner drivers is very welcome because it should help new drivers overcome the challenges of modern driving such as dense city traffic and motorway driving. Having to meet strict new criteria including a number of hours supervised night driving, is an important change to the current system as it deals with elements of driving previously ignored during driver training.
The strengthening of some elements of the road traffic legislation with regards to learner drivers is also a very positive step. The lowered alcohol limit for learner drivers as well as the Hazard Perception Test should reduce the number of traffic accidents involving learner drivers. The continued supervision of so called novice drivers after testing is also an important feature of the new measures and is aimed at addressing problems when inexperienced drivers start driving on their own for the first time.
However, the new proposals do create some serious problems particularly for many young people wishing to learn to drive. Many homes in my constituency of Dublin Central do not have a family car and the new proposals would mean that many people would have to pay an instructor in a company car to accompany them while they accrue the required hours of supervision. It is estimated that 20 hours with a driving instructor could cost up to and above €700. The new compulsory period with a supervising driver could cost as much again. This could make learning to drive prohibitive for many young people especially those who don’t have access to a family car. The onus is now on the Government to explain how it plans to make provisions for those who will not be able to afford the additional costs these new measures create so that all young people can learn to drive in accordance with the law.
