Would driver retraining courses be a “win-win” for everyone in society?
Amid much debate about how road safety could be improved in Ireland, the Department of Transport is considering whether people caught driving dangerously should have to retake lessons.
Speaking on Lunchtime Live, driving instructor Brenda Bolger said she would support it if it was “rolled out correctly”.
She also suggested a pilot first where young people could complete the lessons to bring down their insurance.
“What we need is something new and we haven’t had something new in quite some time,” she said.
“Whenever the numbers for road traffic collisions and fatalities creep up, we’re back to, ‘Maybe we should have more penalty points, maybe we should have more fines, maybe we should reduce the speed limits.’
“These are all things that we have in place already that are not working.
“So, at least if we now have something in terms of bad driver behaviour and they’re undertaking re-education during that re-education we can find out is it behaviour or is it a knowledge gap?”
Average Speed cameras (PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)Ms Bolger said many drivers might be unaware that they are making mistakes while out on the road.
“Someone would be driving dangerously because they just don’t know what they’re doing is the wrong thing,” she said.
“We’ve all had conversations with people who say, ‘If I was to sit my driving test again, I’d fail it.’
“That’s nothing to be proud of.”
Entrance to the Port Tunnel in Dublin, 31-05-2017. Image: Sam Boal/RollingNewsMs Bolger said new drivers could be offered a reduction in their insurance as an incentive to take the course.
“How about the insurance companies says to somebody, ‘Look, instead of paying €3,500 on insurance, you will get a deduction of X amount of money if you take an extra 10 lessons?’” she said.
“We need to start going back to that because it’s win-win twofold.
“The insurance company will still have the customer, they'll still make decent profits and the road is going to be safer for a lot more people driving around because we’re increasing people’s experience.”
The RSA has been allocated an extra €3 million to fund a road safety awareness campaign.
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Main image: Heavy traffic on the Quays in Dublin. Credit: Douglas O'Connor / Alamy Stock Photo
