The Irish Government is tightening up the regulations which govern learner driving in an effort to prevent people from repeatedly renewing a learner permit.
OK, what's happening?
Basically, officials are worried about people who repeatedly renew their learner permits without sitting an actual test. It comes on foot of figures from the Road Safety Authority which show that nearly one in five holders of category B learner permits have renewed their licences three or more times. Almost 60 per cent of this group have yet to sit a driving test, approximately 38,000 people.
So, Minister of State with responsibility for Road Safety, Sean Canney, has signed off on legislation that will ensure learner drivers have to sit at least one proper driving test within the first four years of them holding a permit. They'll have to sit that test in order to be able to renew a learner's permit if they fail, as opposed to the current system which allows renewal upon the booking of a test, even if you don't actually sit it.
How will this help road safety?
The basic theory is that it should encourage people to actually study for and sit their tests, rather than just constantly renewing a learner's permit and staying on the road that way. Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien said: "Road safety is a priority for this Government, and ensuring that all drivers are properly trained and qualified is essential to achieving this goal. The purpose of these regulations is to encourage learners to become fully qualified drivers. It is vital that learner drivers complete the learning process, and are discouraged from holding learner permits without ever taking a driving test. This is one of a range of actions conducted under the Road Safety Strategy with the aim of reducing the number of road deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent by 2030, working toward the ultimate goal of Vision Zero (no road deaths or serious injuries) by 2050.”
When does the new regulation start and who does it cover?
The new regulations kick in this time next year, on 1 November 2026, and they cover learner divers who hold a permit in category A, A1, A2, AM, B or W. If that permit has been in place for four years, they'll have to book and sit a practical driving test before renewing again.
There's another element to the new regs, which is that anyone who's held a learner's permit for seven years will have to go back to the beginning of the learning process and start again, re-sitting their theory test and taking 12 professional driving lessons.
Sean Canney, said: "These regulations are an important development in advancing road safety and will fulfil one of the key actions of Phase 2 of the Road Safety Strategy Action Plan - to end the practice whereby learner drivers can roll over learner permits without the requirement to sit a test. A learner permit is not a driving licence. It permits people to drive on public roads when accompanied by a qualified driver, to gain the experience necessary to drive safely. Until a learner can meet the required standard and pass a driving test, they cannot be judged safe to drive unaccompanied on public roads. Completing the learning to drive process is crucial to ensure that drivers have the skills and confidence to drive on our roads. Road safety is a shared responsibility and ensuring that every driver is properly trained and qualified is a central commitment.”