New hope to cut road carnage
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WITHIN a matter of weeks, tough new rules for learner drivers will come into operation. This move is badly needed and heartily welcome. Although it is not directly related to the devastating tragedy in Donegal, it is a timely measure in our efforts to maintain the downward trend in road deaths.
The new regulations have been the subject of constant demands for years. They have been in preparation for a considerable time. Unsurprisingly, they closely resemble those in force in the United Kingdom and many other countries.
According to the Road Safety Authority (RSA), they will require all learners to take a set number of lessons from a qualified instructor. The learner will have to keep a logbook detailing the hours of practice. Only those who pass an approved course will be pemitted to take a driving test.
In a consultation document last year, the RSA said it expected that the programme would take an average of 20 hours. On the basis of the current cost of driving lessons, €35 per hour, the total price would come to €700. It would be difficult to think of a better way to spend that modest amount of money.
Before the Donegal carnage shocked Inishowen and the country, the public mood on road safety had improved along with the reduction in fatalities. The new regime for learner drivers holds out increased hope that the favourable trend will resume, and that parents will regain confidence in young people's safety on the roads.
