27 August 2001: Almost three out of four drivers on Irish roads believe that untested drivers should NOT be allowed to drive unaccompanied, an RAC/IrishCar.Com survey has revealed. The survey also showed that four out of five respondents believe Irish drivers – especially young drivers - are NOT adequately prepared to go driving.
The fact that more than a third of the 900 drivers surveyed were themselves in the 18-25 'young driver' category indicates their own level of concern over management of driving tuition, testing and licencing. Over half of respondents also said that newly-qualified drivers should have a speed restriction imposed on them in their first year of driving.
And virtually all those who took part in the RAC/IrishCar.Com initiative favour the Government taking more action and spending more money in this area, with substantially more than half feeling that this could lead to lower insurance premiums.
Some 60% of respondents believe that the Government can ‘do a lot’ to ease the high insurance premium situation, and almost all say the Government should take action to make insurance costs 'more transparent'.
The RAC's Robert Taylor commented: ‘Younger drivers are a neglected community in this country – our driver training system has been failing them for years, resulting in exorbitant premiums, not to mention lives lost and injuries suffered. We’re still talking about addressing the basics – enforcing the law on learner driving, cutting waiting times for taking tests – when we should really be looking towards more advanced and contemporary training programmes for our novice drivers.’
Earlier this year the RAC School of Motoring introduced a computer-controlled driving simulator as part of its driving courses.
The editorial director of IrishCar.Com, Brian Byrne, said the results of the survey have for the first time put in the public domain the concerns of drivers themselves about insurance costs and road management and safety, and the relevant authorities should take a hard look at what drivers in the front line are saying.
"The survey particularly highlights the need for swift action on the pre-licensing education of young drivers and the urgent requirement to provide facilities for driver training and testing which have been badly needed for a long time," he said. "Given the amount of revenue the State gets from motoring, it should be putting more back into this area than it is doing."
August 2001