Proposal may see car owners imprisoned for allowing learner to drive unaccompanied

Learners who drive unaccompanied could land the owner of the car in prison for six months.

New proposals which have been approved by Cabinet also include a €2,000 fine for anyone who allows a learner to drive their vehicle.

The measures would also give Gardaí the power to impound vehicles on the spot if it is being driven by an unaccompanied learner.

However, Conor Faughnan from AA Ireland thinks the laws will be hard to enforce.

He said: "I would have a concern that that might be a difficult law to get through in a robust manner that was constitutional, because you are punishing me for another adult's deeds.

"I just think it might be a tough one to defend against an inevitable legal challenge. One thing that does attract me though is the idea of impounding the car."