Crackdown on learner drivers

Most learner drivers drive with an instructor with dual controls or a responsible experienced driver sitting beside them watching the roads. The % of unaccompanied learner drivers is a lot lower than the % of learner drivers. The stats would need to be for % unaccompanied to be valid.

great topic, i wholeheartedly agree. too often the RSA come out with brain farts that get enforced without due dilligence. its easy to for example reduce speed limit on national 2nd roads to 80kmph, because speed kills. but the reality may be that speed kills when you are texting and driving, then the onus should be on stamping out texting, rather than texting at 80kmph. i believe they tried to bring in an NCT test for motorbikes in the past, and couldnt justify it.

The Irish driver's test is essentially a scam. You could be a completely safe driver and fail the test and vice versa.

Long ago there were no driver's tests. In America there is one but it's extremely easy to pass.

I think people should start thinking more about how they drive and what can happen, not wasting time with this learner driver stuff.

I tend to be a lot more wary of N drivers than L drivers- L drivers in general tend to behave as L drivers do- ie somewhat cautious - I give them all the space they need and never complain if I’m stuck behind them - it’s life and we were all there at some stage.

But yeah N drivers- I see many doing 130+ on mortorways -often they’re impatient and in a hurry - I guess it’s the N sign that’s influenced me - many non N drivers are bad drivers but with the N sticker on the back they tend to get extra attention

Huge amount of churn in the system too. People who are on their umpteen learner permit renewing with no intention of do a test have to book one to renew. They delay others from getting their test slots.
By fact if their inexperience, the accident and fatality rate of learner drivers will be a much higher percentage than 7% or licences equals 7% of accidents.

Irish attitude to laws, car dependent housing, high cost of motoring and scant enforcement is a recipe for disaster. There aren’t more driver and passenger fatalities because of continually improving car safety.

With the advent of the new Insurance checking APP, I was actually quite surprised to not see the license angle included?

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41403299.html

Surely, the technology/capability is now there.

Although, perhaps the RSA/Gardaí are waiting to release this update at a later date?

With that said, the cynic in me might posit that the Government is making too much money from learner permit renewals so they won't touch said subject?

there used to be L plates with suckers so yo could remove easily. Haven't seen those in ages, only ones I could find were stick-on, not feasible to be removing and reusing those with any regularity.

The driving test is not difficult, just get on and do it, if you're not ready for the test, you're not ready to drive alone

like I said, a L driver could be responsible for an accident with fatalities. You look at your partial data and draw conclusions with it. Saying L drivers are safer than “normal” drivers is misleading.

my late father always said the most dangerous drivers were the ones who had newly got the reigns of a license, and have not yet the experience of knowing when they are pushing it. Learners are generally on their best behaviour and naturally proceed somewhat nervously, and that accidents that happen are usually minor

Incidently same follows in the hobby aviation world, at about 100 hours accidents are most frequent because confidence exceeds experience and boundaries are starting to be pushed, eg entering unsuitable weather.