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Latest News For Learner Drivers

From Monday 30th June, gardai will stop and prosecute all provisional drivers found to be driving without a fully qualified driver in the car with them.

If the clampdown is fully enforced then a large number of drivers will find themselves in trouble with the law and having to take public transport -- or get someone to accompany them.

Ref: Independent.ie 27th June 2008

The Gardai are set to mount a safety crackdown on learner drivers over the next week in an effort to reduce the death toll among young motorists.

A special road safety blitz due to get underway tomorrow will specifically target provisional drivers who don't display L-plates or who drive unaccompanied.

Studies have found that male drivers aged between 17 and 20 are almost 10 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the roads compared to those in their 40s and 50s.

From Tuesday next (30^th October 2007) all new applicants for driving licences will be issued with a learner permit. The rules applying to a new applicants learner permit will stipulate that:

• The holder must be accompanied by a driver who has had a full licence for at least two years;

• The holder must have the permit for a minimum of 6 months of supervised practice before applying for a test.

From 30^th June 2008 all provisional licence holders must be accompanied by a fully licenced driver of at least two years experience.  

This move is made in response to two clear messages from the public, the Minister said today.  Firstly, there is strong support for the proposed reforms to improve road safety. Secondly, there is a strong desire for a reasonable lead-in time to enable people to prepare for and take their test or to make alternative arrangements.  For these reasons I have decided to defer implementation of the requirement for second provisional licence holders to be accompanied until 30^th  June 2008.

I now encourage all provisional licence holders, who have not already done so to prepare and apply for a driving test. The Government has already committed itself to providing the necessary finance to the Road Safety Authority to ensure that all 122, 000 applicants currently on the waiting list will have been tested by early March 2008. This will have eliminated the current backlog as promised.  By the end of June 2008 all applicants for a driving test will be able to get a test on demand (within 10 weeks).

Winter Road Safety for Drivers:

Poor road surface conditions are associated with up to 30% of fatal road accidents annually. When temperatures drop on winter nights all road users need to take greater care. Novice drivers, who may be unused to the effects of wintry weather, are a particular concern.

Driver Fatigue - Staying Alert and Fit to Drive:

• Driving a vehicle for long hours is tiring. Even the best of drivers will become less alert. Here are a few suggestions that good drivers can do to help stay alert and safe.

• Get enough sleep. Leaving on a long trip when you're already tired is dangerous. If you have a long trip scheduled, make sure that you get enough sleep before you go.

• Schedule trips safely. Your body gets used to sleeping during certain hours. If you are driving during those hours, you will be less alert. If possible, try to schedule trips for the hours you are normally awake. Trying to push on and finish a long trip at night can be very dangerous.

• Avoid medication. Many medicines can make you sleepy. If you have to drive with a cold, you are better off suffering from the cold than from the effects of the medicine.

• Keep cool. A hot, poorly ventilated car can make you sleepy. Keep the window or vent cracked or use the air conditioner, if you have one.

• Take breaks. Short breaks can keep you alert. But the time to take them is before you feel really drowsy or tired. Stop often.

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Tips for avoiding sleep related accidents:

• Get a good night's sleep (the average person requires 8 hours)

• Plan to drive long trips with a companion. Conversation relieves tiredness and monotony, so share driving.

• Take a break every 2 hours or 100 miles. Get out and do some exercise or take a 15-20 minute nap.

• Avoid alcohol and medications that could impair performance

• Keep the car cool and listen to lively music

• Watch your posture - slouching brings on fatigue

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Points for safe cycling:

1. Cyclists are not inferior to motorcyclists, just more vulnerable

2. Look behind and signal in good time before turning

3. Obey all traffic signs - a red light really means STOP

4. Don't weave in and out of slow moving traffic

5. Keep well away from trucks and buses, especially near a corner

6. Never hold on to a moving vehicle

7. No headphones - you need to hear as well as see

8. Never cycle more than tow abreast - single file is always best

9. Have your bicycle serviced regularly

10. Cycling at night - make sure you have a front light, a back light and a rear reflector

11. Wear a reflective belt

12. Wear a cycle helmet at all times

13. In poor road conditions reduce your speed for added safety

• Remember: On your Bike Be Safe, Be Seen

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However despite represneting less than 2% of the total number of licensed vehicles in Ireland, motorcycle users account for 12% of road fatalities. Motorcycle and scooter users are vulnerable road users. In a crash they have less protection than in a car.

So how can motorcyclists address this vulnerability? Well as trained motorcyclists around the world prove every day biking can be a fun, safe and a satisfying activity providing you are competent in what you do. This means you have got to have the right attitude, the benefit of education and training and possess the appropriate skills.

Your friends may have experience but the information they provide may be fatally wrong, especially if they have never received training themselves. This is where a good quality rider training course can contribute hugely to your enjoyment of and safety on your motorcycle.

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Key Motorcycling Issues

FILTERING:
i.e. overtaking slow moving or stationary traffic. It should only be carried out by trained and experienced motorcyclists and should never be attempted by novices or newcomers. It requires intense concentration and awareness, high levels of observation, machine handling and anticipatory skills.

OVERTAKING:
(a). A significant percentage of all motorcycle crashes involving other vehicles occur when the other vehicle crosses the path of the motorcycle. So the advice to motorcyclists is don't overtake at junctions and don't overtake at areas where traffic can turn right.

(b). Never overtake a vehicle on the inside. This is a known cause of crashes in urban areas as a result of the motorcyclist losing traction and going under wheels of the vehicle or where the vehicle makes a left turn not realising a motorbike is present.

LEFT HAND BENDS:
A high proportion of motorcycle crashes happen because the biker didn't accurately assess the severity of a bend. If positioning on the road is incorrect when approaching a bend and combined with inappropriate speed the biker will end up on the wrong side of the road facing oncoming traffic or they may end up in the ditch!

IMPROPER USE OF BRAKES:
There are specific guidelines on how to correctly use the front and rear brakes of a motorbike. A motorcyclist should have an understanding of the dynamics and theory of the braking system.

This advise and information has been supplied by the Road Safety Authority from RTE.ie.

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