We’re fed up with promises on driving

EACH day I read, see and hear about another person killed on our roads, and it makes me feel so sad for the families of the victims.

Why are we putting up with this, complaining non-stop but not actually doing anything? You are probably saying to yourself: “What is she on about — we can’t do anything.”

We, the people, vote for local representatives to lobby the Government for what we want. However, more often than not, the only time we see any real improvements are in the run-up to an election, like now for example.

I listened with great interest to Transport Minister Martin, on the radio last Monday, saying it would be next year before legislation could be brought in to deal with the crises of road deaths and delays in the so called driving test.

Wake up Mr Cullen — and every other responsible adult, parent, sister, brother, etc. Accept that any 17-year-old can go driving on Irish roads without one single driving lesson and that buying a small one-litre car is not going to stop your son or daughter from getting killed.

Hopefully, by the time my son can drive legally (11 years’ time), we will have an adequate driving test — not driving at 40kmph and testing our ability to reverse around corners (not very responsible). Instead, it would be wonderful to see children and young adults being trained at school and then being tested appropriately.

We also need an affordable system to encourage all drivers, young and old to sit their test.

At the moment it will cost you €113.60 to get a full licence, presuming you only need one theory test (€35.60), one provisional licence (€15 for a two-year licence if you’re not waiting months to be called for the test), along with the fee for the test (€38) and another €25 for the full licence itself.

And all of that’s before paying for a single driving lesson — which is, on average, €37. There’s no financial incentive there, then, to encourage anyone to re-apply for their test. And, what’s more, you could have actually been taking lessons from someone with a provisional licence anyway.

Progress is slow — how many more will be killed between now and next year? Shame on our local representatives, and on us, for sitting back and taking this.

How many more must die?

We, the people, have the power to get what we want, to make our elected representatives act now to earn their pensions. Forgive me for being so idealistic but I’m young and I really want to see action now — not plans, meetings, reports and promises, promises, promises.

Patricia Deane

Gorthanedin

Keel

Castlemaine

Co Kerry