Newly qualified drivers in Ireland....how can they realisticly bring in these new rules?

Question

On the news this morning the Irish government are proposing that newly qualified drivers have more stringent rules after they have qualified in order to stop so many young people being killed. In the main I agree with some rules that they are thinking about......but...

One of the ideas is to not let them drive after dark.

As an experienced driver for many years I know that it can be very difficult when you have first started driving to drive in the dark.

However, the point of being able to drive is to be idependant and being able to get yourself from A to B easily. If they stop the new drivers from driving after dark, how in the winter months can they get themselves home from work even, and for that matter if they start work in the mornings early, how are they going to get to work. Since it doesn't get light until 7.30am some days in the winter, and gets dark about 4.30pm in the evenings.

There is little point in people learning to drive.

Absolutely mad.

Answer 1

Actually however unpopular with the younger/newer drivers the no night time driving bit seems quite good, as does the zero tolerance on drink driving.

Answer 2

perhaps the answer is in your last point -

Answer 3

Stopping young drivers from driving outside certain hours is to my mind, impractical, whether it is after dark or beyond 4.30pm.

This would cause problems for work, college, leasure etc. They may as well not drive. Often people can be delayed for several reasons - If a traffic jam casuses a young driver to be on the road later than he intended, does he have to stop driving and leave the car in the road?

Having said that, someone has probably looked at when the most deaths of young drivers occur, and I suspect it is after dark.

To my mind there are two main reasons why a young or inexperienced driver may be more at risk of an accident.

1) Inexperience

2) Hot headedness whilst with is mates etc

If you delay the driver being able to drive after dark, you will delay the learning curve, so 1 will not be helped. All you have an older but inexperienced night time driver.

Although a night time ban may well deal with a lot of antisocial and dangerous after dark driving, enforcing it could be problematic, and such a restriction would be impractical.

Many organised meetings where youngsters find a wide road and thrash their cars around to an audience would go on anyway, in a corner where people wouldn't report them or where the police wouldn't find them, so this would not be stopped.

The only benefit is that it would remove the opportunity for many youngsters to find themselves in a situation where bravado takes over common sense.

To my mind the way forward is to restrict the cc/bhp of vehicles that drivers can drive before they get to a certain age, and to provide education with officers going out to pubs etc and presenting the message in a no punches pulled way.

Answer 4

I'm not Irish but my family are , and Ive been going there all my life.

My family are farming community so out in the sticks , learning to drive for my young cousins is a biggie.

But I swear I have never come across driving like it.....Dublin and all the other major towns are just the same as anywhere but the countryside...

Not sure about this 'not after dark' , can't see that working , and I have no answers .There is definitely a culture over there of driving like a mad @rse. I worry for my cousins I really do.Its deffo not just the young lads though it cuts right across the whole community.No one wears set belts or does less than 60. I remember as a little girl getting in a bedford van with my cousin and sliding all over the front seat , even falling off at one point! The thing is that cousin is now nearly 45 and he still drives like a nutter. Scary stuff.

Answer 5

I think its because after dark is when the young people in the republic of Ireland go particularly crazy in their driving. I see your point. But thats the republic  of Ireland for you.

Answer 6

Who comes up with these idea's I wonder ? no matter if it is dark or light ,or whatever the weather ,one has to be in control at all times.....E

Answer 7

Yes it is mad and odd thinking

After all it's the few idiots who spoil it for the majority of other drivers

Maybe a curfew say between 8pm-6am in the morning might help

Suppose most accidents are caused by speed-drink and carelessness-

Answer 8

In the 6 counties you have restricted driving for the first year after passing.I think it's that you can't go over 50 miles an hour and you must display an 'R' plate.I think that's a good idea.I think the after dark rule is too strict and could be set at 9'o'clock.Problem is,what about people who work in the evening?Might need re thinking.

Linda G:offence taken.People who make comments like that and then try to excuse them are very ignorant.

Answer 9

Yep does sound a bit irish to me. (no offence meant)

Answer 10

Gosh, you are so so out of date

That is the Zombie Amendment to the Road Traffic act 1993   Donnie Cassidy has proposed the provision of of Cemetery Patrol division of the Garda Siochàna. The Zombie Licence now requires an "Z" plate

Under E.U. Equality of Opportunity  provisions, the Garda recruitment has now to recruit Zombie membership

I resent anyboby saying that this is  "MAD" or "IRISH",; we are world leaders in plastic bag and  smoking  legislation

(Personally I think it is a Bertie coup to land the E.U Presidency Job.)   Seift na gCute h**r aris

Answer 11

I think it's a silly idea instead why dont they insist on half the driving lessons during daylight and the other half when it is dark. I personally learnt to drive in the dark and at first found it difficult to drive in the day.