Learner drivers who have not succeeded in passing their driving test within seven years will be required to take additional lessons before being allowed back on the road, under new Government plans, reports RTE.
Sean Canney, the minister in charge of road safety, told RTÉ’s This Week programme that he also intends to amend the law by next month to make it mandatory for learner drivers to sit a driving test after receiving their third learner permit.
Should they fail that test, they would still be permitted to obtain up to three more learner permits, reports RTE.
However, anyone who still hasn’t passed after seven years will be treated as a new driver. They will have to complete the theory test again and undertake 12 lessons before being allowed back on the road.
A spokesperson for the Department of Transport explained: “It is intended to require learner permit holders, after holding a permit for 4-years, to sit a driving test before renewing again. It is also intended that any application for renewal after seven years of holding a learner permit will be treated as a first learner permit application, and the learner will have to begin the learning to drive process from the start (theory test, learner permit, 12 Essential Driver Training lesson, practical test),” reports RTE.
Minister Sean Canney stated: “This is all about safety on the roads, we need to make sure that people are legally driving their vehicles on the roads. The objective of this is to ensure that everybody on the roads is a qualified driver and has the necessary skills to manage, operate and drive a car in a safe manner.”
He added that these reforms won’t require new legislation and can instead be enacted through regulations, which means they won’t need to be voted on in the Dáil, reports RTE.
When asked whether the proposals were fair, the minister responded: “Obviously if you do your test and you fail, and then you get another three learner permits, and you do your test and you fail, you have been on the road for at least six years, and by then people will have their skills honed to the level required to pass the test.”
He further explained that if someone continues to fail their tests, “it speaks to the point, what are they doing wrong, and maybe they do need to go back and get some more instruction and learn the skill better before they take the test again,” reports RTE.
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