Overhaul of licensing for novice car drivers

THE WAY learner drivers are trained and tested is being overhauled by the Road Safety Authority in an effort to reduce the high number of fatal crashes involving younger drivers.

From April 4th, those applying for their first learner permit – which has replaced the old provisional licence – will be required to complete a minimum of 12 hours of tuition with an approved driving instructor before they can sit their driving test.

One leading driver instruction company was quoting €35 per hour for lessons yesterday.

Under the new rules, a learner driver will receive a logbook when they sign up for lessons. The instructor will be required to sign the logbook to confirm the student has completed each lesson.

The safety authority says learner drivers must successfully complete the 12 hours of driver training over a six-month period with an average of one lesson every two weeks before they can sit the test.

To get the maximum benefit from the lessons, it recommends learners complete at least three hours of practice with a fully qualified “sponsor” driver after each lesson.

However, the Irish Driving Instructors Association said yesterday the time allocated to cover the authority’s driver training syllabus was “completely inadequate”. “Training has always been tailored to individual drivers with people progressing at different rates. The new mandatory lessons provide no flexibility for this,” said association chairwoman Cathy Bacon.

Ms Bacon said that while the authority’s syllabus was “very good”, it would take up to 75 hours to complete all stages, including the recommended sponsor-supervised practice between lessons.

“The fact that learners don’t have to achieve any of the steps under the new rules, and only have to present themselves for the lessons, may risk giving drivers a false sense of competence,” she said.

Since December, those applying for a motorcycle licence have been required to complete a minimum of 16 hours’ tuition with an approved instructor. However, the lessons for motorbike drivers, unlike the rules for learner drivers, have to be completed and passed to the satisfaction of the instructors.

Some instructors say they are uneasy about signing the logbook on the completion of the car-driving lessons when the required level of proficiency has not been achieved.

However, Road Safety Authority spokesman Brian Farrell said the new rules were very straightforward.

“The instructor’s job is to provide the lesson and certify that it’s been completed,” he said.

“We recommend that learner drivers implement the practice, in the company of their sponsor, that the instructor recommends and if they do that there should be no difficulties.”

Mr Farrell warned, however, there was no obligation on candidates to take additional lessons, over and above the mandatory 12 hours.

He also advised people to look around for best value for money in the market place, noting that learner drivers were not restricted to taking all their lessons with the one instructor.

Irish Insurance Federation public affairs spokesman Niall Doyle said the federation had been calling for compulsory basic training for more than a decade

“We need learner drivers trained as a matter of law and we’ll get much better drivers as a consequence,” he said.

COMPULSORY DRIVER TRAINING ROAD MAP FOR FUTURE

Compulsory training for learner car drivers becomes a legal requirement from April 4th.

Anyone getting their first learner permit with a start date on or after April 4th must complete a minimum of 12 hours of driver training before they can sit their driving test.

The training must be completed over a six-month period with the driver averaging one lesson every two weeks.

The Road Safety Authority recommends three hours of driving practice with a fully qualified sponsor in the two-week period between lessons.