John Dolan: There’s some awful drivers out there... learners are the safest

There are far too many learner drivers on our roads, we are told.

And it’s true: Figures in recent weeks revealed there were 394,128 L-plate vehicles driving on Irish roads at the end of September, compared to 381,871 at the end of March. That’s 10% of all drivers.

Of these, 43,511 were registered in Cork, an increase of 851 in the six-month period, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

That’s an astounding number - 43,000 is the population of Douglas and Carrigaline combined.

The rising number of learner drivers is clearly a concern, indicating a testing system that is unable to keep up with rising populations in one of the most car-centric countries in Europe.

Then again, it is not a system where we want short-cuts taken. It’s vital that every driver who passes that nerve-wracking test is competent and does not pose a danger to themself and others.

Many older readers will remember the crazy decision in 1979 to grant more than 60,000 drivers an amnesty from the test and a full driving licence, as a way to address the large backlog of applicants at the stroke of a pen.

Along with scrapping most of our railway network, that must rank as one of the most damaging examples of self-harm in Irish history.

No, the government must find a way to reduce the current driving test backlog while not making our roads any more dangerous than they already are.

Road haulage campaigners used the latest learner driver statistics to urge the government to take action to make our roads safer places.

But here’s the thing. Anyone who spends any time on Cork’s roads - whether behind the wheel, walking, or on a bike - knows there are far too many dangerous, clueless, obnoxious, and selfish motorists about. And none of them are learner drivers.

Sure, you might come across the odd L-plate driver who is ultra-slow, indecisive, and lacking in confidence - all of which is entirely forgivable in the circumstances.

Or, at least, it should be.

I am still fuming at the impatient lady driver behind me last year when I was helping teach my son how to drive, who blared her horn when he inadvertently - and totally legally - blocked her lane because he was waiting to turn right and she wanted to go straight on.

What a dose.

And this is my point. Learner drivers tend not to act dangerously, stupidly, selfishly, or indeed illegally, because they are too busy learning the rules of the road and how to work the pedals.

They are careful not to go over the speed limit, they are too busy concentrating to even glance at a phone or put on the car radio at high volume. Also, they are accompanied by someone who will likely keep such behaviours in check.

No, it’s the motorists who have passed their test and who should know better who are the real menace to our society.

The ones who drive too fast, who play music ultra-loudly, who think nothing of reading or writing a text while behind the wheel, who jump red lights... these are the ones who make our roads dangerous.

Addressing the current driving test backlog, Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) president Ger Hyland said that our roads have become dangerous places for his members and criticised the RSA for failing to “get a handle on what is a crisis for Irish road safety”.

He is right to raise this issue and to call for actions to reduce that driving test backlog.

But I can’t help thinking that if more qualified motorists drove like the ones with L-plates, the roads would be a far safer place.

If the backlog is to be tackled, then we can all assume a repeat of that daft 1979 amnesty will not be on the table.

Although, having said that, a 2023 survey revealed that almost one in five people believe we should do just that to cut the backlog, which is partly a hangover from the pandemic. Bonkers!

The same survey, by Aviva, showed that half of people felt that the rule that learner drivers should always be accompanied by a qualified driver should be done away with until the backlog is cleared.

I assume the reason for this is to allow learners to spend more time on the road, and not be dependent on taking up another person’s time - normally, a stressed-out dad in my experience!

It does make sense, but it strikes me as being a dangerous road to go down.

Incidentally, those backlog figures indicated there are 43 learner permit holders in Cork that are aged 80 years old and above.

That’s either a case of ‘God loves a trier’, or it’s a case of ‘life begins at 80’. Either way, you have to salute their ambition!