L-plate drivers face penalty point increase

Learner motorists caught driving unaccompanied will shortly face a sanction of two penalty points with a further two for failing to display L-plates.

The measures are contained in the Road Traffic Bill 2012 which is due to be discussed by Cabinet today.

For each offence the penalty is increased to four if the driver is convicted in court. At the end of 2011 there were more than 271,000 learner permit holders in the State, equivalent to one in 10 drivers.

The new Bill also halves from 12 to six the number of penalty points a learner motorist can accumulate within a three-year period before losing their licence. It is expected this provision will apply only to learner permits issued or renewed after the legislation is enacted as new sanctions cannot be retrospective.

Points increase

For all motorists the penalties for speeding, failing to wear a seatbelt or using a mobile phone will increase from two to three points and, upon conviction in court, to five.

The repair and resale of a written-off vehicle will be prohibited by a new provision which will see a vehicle deemed unroadworthy by the NCT being removed from the national vehicle file and barred from passing an NCT test.

The Bill also contains a provision for roadside impairment tests to detect drug driving. This was originally provided for in the 2010 Road Traffic Act and gardaí have been trained in those techniques.

Concerns over the robustness of the power of arrest provisions of the Act meant it was never enacted and has been rewritten.

Blood samples

Under the new legislation medical professionals will be allowed to take a blood sample from an unconscious driver which will not be tested until they can give consent.

To encourage the uptake of electric vehicles the Bill contains enabling legislation to allow local authorities provide parking and charging bays in public places, as well as parking bays for car club vehicles.

Since 2008, all learner drivers, including those on a second provisional licence, are required to be accompanied by a fully qualified driver.

Currently, those found in breach face a fine of up to €1,000.

However, a recent Garda operation targeting unaccompanied driving found almost half of learners flouted this requirement.