Traffic Transport and Road Safety Associates Ltd. (TTRSA)

Following changes to learner driver licensing, including the prohibition of unaccompanied learner drivers which came into force on 1st July 2008, Ireland's downward trend in road traffic accident fatalities has continued. However there is still a persistently high casualty rate, particularly for young male drivers.

Yesterday, the Road Safety Authority issued a statement detailing changes to the way in which drivers are trained, tested and licensed in Ireland. Nine new measures were announced:

• 'All new first time learner permit holders with effect from 6th December 2010 for motorcycles and 4th April 2011 for cars will be required to undertake mandatory initial basic training (IBT) with an approved driving instructor (ADI). The course will be 16 hours for motorcycle and 12 hours for car licences.
• The role of the supervising driver accompanying learner drivers will be strengthened and we will introduce a requirement for learner drivers to keep a learner log to be signed by their approved driving instructor and their accompanying driver.
• The drink driving limits for drivers with learner permits and those in their first two years on a full driving licence will be reduced to 20mg/100ml. This legislation has been passed by the Oireachtas (Parliament) and will come into effect in September 2011.
• The penalty points for specified offences will be increased for learner and novice drivers so that accumulation of penalty points during the learning phase and in the first two years on a full licence will pose a real threat of disqualification and will impact positively on risk taking and driver behaviour.
• A standard Hazard Perception Test will be developed and carried out during the novice driver phase. The hazard perception test will specifically address risk taking and perception of risk among novice drivers.
• The current driving test will be modernised to more effectively reflect driver competencies and to influence the learning undertaken by learners. We will introduce a new externally accredited driving test format in the last quarter of 2011.
• Novice drivers will be required to display an R (restricted) plate during the first two years of their full driving licence to support the restrictions that are placed on their licence for that duration.
• The current Driver Theory Test question bank and supporting learning materials will be reconfigured to make it more effective as a learning tool.
• We will engage with the Department of Justice and Law Reform, the Gardai and the Courts Service to develop the range and combination of sentencing options available to the courts for driving offences for learner and novice drivers'.

The role of monitoring and enforcement will be critical in generating successful outcomes from the measures, this coming less than a month after the Irish Examiner revealed that around 22 learner drivers per day are being caught by Gardai, driving unaccompanied or driving without L-plates, both offences which can result in fines of up to €2,000 and/or three months’ imprisonment on conviction.

2nd September 2010