I know I go on about this all the time but today is the day that new legislation for driving is coming in to place. Provisional drivers, or drivers with learner permits as we know must call them, must have a qualified driver with them at all times in the car. Even drivers on their second provisional licence - sorry, learner permits, must now go along with these pesky road traffic laws..
If they don't have accompaniment, they face fines and points on their licences. And if they decide to throw the police off the scent by not displaying their L plates, they face an on-the-spot fine of €1000.
That's great, of course and it's not a moment too soon. But as always the language used around these things is always interesting. I heard on the news last week, and again in the article, that the police will enforce this legislation just like any other road traffic legislation. That's not really good enough is it? Is it too much to expect the legislation to be enforced consistently and without prejudice. Drivers in Ireland surely know that enforcing driving laws in this country is an arbitrary affair and seems to depend on the guard in question's workload for the day and his (and it's always a male guard) general mood on a given day. Which means that many people don't pay any attention to laws about mobile phones, seat belts, driving with a qualified driver and road tax. I mean why would they? Let's see if all this new legislation changes anything. I'd like to be surprised. I won't hold my breath though.
The Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority Noel Brett said today: "The best advice we can give to people is to go to a qualified driving instructor, take lessons, identify a suitable person to accompany and mentor you while driving, get practice in and when your instructor thinks you’re ready apply for your test".
Sometimes the best ideas are the most obvious ones.
1 comment:
I'm pretty sure that's now the way things have been in the UK for years - when I lived in Ireland, I always thought it was ludricous that you could drive around on your own, on a provisional (sorry learner) licence. I mean, where's the incentive to take your test? Didn't they have some kind of amnesty a few years back where anyone on a provisional could cash it in for a proper one, without having to do anything, because there was a shortage of driving examiners? That's just mad.
Saying that, I spend quite a lot of time waiting at bus stops in London, and the amount of drivers you see going by with no seatbelt is chronic. Are they mad? Have they not seen the ads? It will actually and literally save your life in a crash. And your kids.
They don't have them on buses though, which is a bit mad isn't it? A prang in one of those things and you'll just be thrown across the bus into a pole (metal one, not a polish person). Still, buses go about 2mph round my way (except the 70), so probably no danger there.
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