Learner drivers should be allowed to drive unaccompanied, a member of the Oireachtas Transport Committee has argued. 

Until a person passes their driving test, it is only legal for them to drive while accompanied by a qualified driver who has had their licence for at least two-years. 

If a learner driver is stopped while driving unaccompanied by Gardaí, their car can be detained. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Fianna Fáil’s Cathal Crowe said he thinks the current rules are not “practical” and need reform. 

“I am a west of Ireland County Clare TD and I can tell you in my county, there is no Luas or Dart,” he said. 

“There is no significant public transport network, so young people - particularly young drivers - need a way of getting around the place. 

“I constantly see L plate drivers on the road, they do not have someone accompanying them. 

“Maybe that’s their fault? But maybe it’s not practically possible.” 

A learner driver sticker on a car. Picture by: Macana / Alamy.com.

Deputy Crowe added that for many young people, commuting by car is the only way they attend college. 

“The cost of student accommodation is huge, so when a youngster’s going off to college, [it’s] €600 to €1,000 [a month] - if you can get it in the first place,” he said. 

“So, Mum and Dad invariably get them a car, get them on the road and what you’ll often see is college students carpooling, heading off to college, heading back in the evening. 

“[Learners] often don’t have an accompanying full permit driver with them - I just don’t think it’s practical.” 

When asked about the issue of road safety, Deputy Crowe said it “matters a lot to me” and that he recently lost a family member in a road crash. 

'There to protect learner drivers'

Also on the programme, motoring expert Ger Herbert said the current rules were put in place for good reason. 

“The law requiring [learner drivers] to be accompanied isn’t there to punish them - it’s there to protect them,” she said. 

“Every year, learners are involved in fatal crashes and the vast majority of those are unaccompanied. 

“So, we need to come up with solutions that actually keep our learners safe on the road but allow them to pass their test in a reasonable fashion - so, we need to reduce the backlog.” 

Main image: A L plate Picture by: True Images / Alamy Stock Photo.