Learner driver rules to be 'discreetly enforced'

The Minister for Transport appears to have rowed back from an announcement in today's newspapers that all drivers on a second provisional will face prosecution if found driving unaccompanied.

Mr Noel Dempsey said today that although the law would come into effect next Tuesday, gardaí would take a measured approach to enforcement "using discretion and common sense as opposed to automatic prosecution".

He denied this was a U-turn, having announced yesterday that all provisional drivers, including those on their second provisional, must be accompanied by a driver who has held a full licence for a minimum of two years.

The penalties for breaching this are a fine of up to €1,000 and possible disqualification from driving. The same penalties will apply to provisional drivers who do not display an L-plate.

But Mr Dempsey today suggested that for a period of few months gardaí would concentrate on warning and informing the public, rather than enforcing the new law. He pointed to the approach taken to enforcing the mobile phone ban as an example of this tactic.

He also confirmed the changes would have no impact on a person's insurance.

Mr Dempsey was responding to concerns about the impact on provisional licence holders reliant on their car for work and, and the possibility of increased social isolation in areas poorly served by public transport.

The Minister also displayed his frustration that the enforcement of the regulations for provisional drivers was detracting from the 126 other measures in the road safety strategy.

"I wish to God the rest of the road safety strategy was getting the same attention from the media. The law will come in on Tuesday. The order is signed . . . the enforcement of the law and how that is going to happen.

There are more than 120,000 drivers on a second provisional licence. The changes are part of a learner permit system announced at the unveiling of a new road safety strategy yesterday.

Under this system, any driver applying for their first licence will - from next Tuesday - be given a learner permit. Existing provisional licences will remain valid until their expiry, and if the holder has not passed a test by that stage it will be replaced by a learner permit.

The strategy also proposes mandatory tuition for all learner drivers and restrictions on these drivers. A final decision has not yet made on these.

The plan also calls for a reduction in the blood alcohol limit for drivers, although it does not set a limit and has asked an expert group to recommend a new limit.

Mr Dempsey said yesterday a reduction of the limit would happen before the middle of 2009. The Road Safety Authority says the plan could reduce deaths on the roads by 400 over the next five years.

From midnight next Monday all learner drivers, including those on a second provisional licence, must be accompanied at by a driver who holds a full licence for two years.