Driving instructors - Safety plan long overdue but welcome

NEXT to drink-drivers, the biggest danger on our roads is posed by thousands of unqualified and ill-trained motorists. They were let loose by a reckless government.

By every standard, Ireland’s road safety record has been appalling. Shamefully, the coalition dragged its heels on random breath testing for years. Since its introduction last year, fatalities have fallen significantly.

Long overdue, some progress is now being made. To root out bad teaching methods and keep unqualified teachers off the roads, all driving instructors are to be regulated by the Road Safety Authority.

Meanwhile, Irish companies have signed up to a European pledge to help reduce the number of crashes. The Europe-wide Road Safety Charter aims to curb fatalities by 50% by 2010, saving up to 25,000 lives across member states.

Perhaps the Irish authorities should borrow from a new Australian TV campaign that aims to reduce road deaths by questioning the manhood of speeding drivers. Women shake their little finger — symbolising a small penis — at boy racers. That should work.