Public back harsh road safety rules
Mr Byrne was commenting on tomorrowâs unveiling by Transport Minister Noel Dempsey of a raft of new measures to clamp down on irresponsible driving.
Suggestions made by people who took part in the RSAâs consultation process were more âdraconianâ than anything the authority had in mind, he said. Reduced engine size, nighttime curfews, a speed limiter on cars, a restriction on the number of passengers were among the proposals considered during consultation on the new licensing system for learner drivers.
There was also the suggestion that newly licensed drivers should be accompanied by a qualified driver for six months. Respondents also called for a tougher stance on drink driving.
âThe problem with... those suggestions is that in order to protect the public from the few who are careless and negligent and willful you have to punish the 95% of young drivers who are driving responsibly.â
He also said the licensing system would not just apply to young drivers but there would also be a clampdown on older people driving for years without a licence.
Mr Byrne said most drivers were only asked to produce their licence if they were involved in a traffic accident. âI was thinking about myself recently and I realised that I havenât been asked to produce my driving licence for 20 years because I was never involved in a shunt.â Mr Byrne also said reducing young driver risk was not just an Irish problem, it was universal.
He referred to research published by Britainâs Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents showing that young male drivers aged 17 to 24 were more than eight times more likely to have a fatal accident when driving with just two of his friends. While the statistics were staggering they were the same all over the world for young male drivers.
âWhile the majority of young men are driving responsibly, there are a hard core of people who pay no attention to anybody.â
