50,000 learner drivers face June 30th restrictions

MORE THAN 50,000 learner drivers are likely to be affected by the June 30th deadline ending the practice where some provisional licence holders are allowed to drive unaccompanied.

However, the Road Safety Authority, which says more than 12,000 applicants a week are now being tested, has said it is on target to achieve "testing on demand" - that is being able to offer a test within 10 weeks of receiving an application - by the end of June.

From that deadline, drivers who hold a provisional licence - or learner permit as it is now called - may only drive when accompanied by a driver who holds a full licence for more then two years. Offending drivers face a fine of €1,000 for a first offence and €2,000 for a second.

Similar penalties apply for not displaying L-plates.

Importantly, the accompanying licence holder is liable to be breath-tested as if they were behind the wheel and they must hold a licence for the category of vehicle being driven.

Latest figures from the authority show that 126,643 applicants were awaiting a test on May 25th last, about 80,000 of whom had already been give a date for their test.

Although the average waiting time for a test was just over eight weeks, the authority is reluctant to declare the "test on demand" target already achieved, because of the possibility of a last-minute surge in applications.

The Road Safety Authority also declined to be specific about how many applicants will have been tested by June 30th.

The figure of 126,643 people awaiting a test represents just over 10 weeks work by driving testers.

However, even if they could all be tested by the deadline, a success rate in the test of just 52.4 per cent indicates that in excess of 50,000 drivers are likely to be prevented from driving unless that have a qualified driver beside them.

While the number affected is large, Brian Farrell of the Road Safety Authority says that to maintain the "test on demand" period at 10 weeks, the authority actually needs an ongoing waiting list in the region of 120,000 applicants.

Applications for a driving test are not allowed in the first six months of holding a learner permit.

Together with an average 10- week waiting period, learner drivers will now have a minimum of more than eight months to prepare, but the Road Safety Authority does not think this is excessive.

"Many candidates are now getting called for a test much sooner than they might have expected and many are returning up poorly prepared," Mr Farrell said.

"Candidates need to realise that they will now get called quickly and should therefore only apply once their driving instructor is confident that they are ready for the driving test.

"We urge all candidates to use a driving instructor and to prepare well for their driving test."

Currently, cases of driving unaccompanied or without L-plates under section 20 of the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 1999 are running at about 300 a month.

Garda activity in this area is expected to be stepped up, following the change in the regulations.