Thousands of learner drivers are breaking the law "on a daily basis" by heading out on the road unaccompanied, an expert has warned.

Figures show 11 unaccompanied learner drivers were involved in fatal collisions last year.

Meanwhile, over 27,000 drivers in Ireland have been on a learner permit for between 11 and 20 years.

Professional Driving Instructors Association Director Dominic Brophy told Newstalk Breakfast the system needs to change.

"Something is going wrong and it's obvious for everybody to see," he said.

"I was interested a couple of months ago when I heard Taoiseach Simon Harris saying we were at a critical juncture in road safety - I agree with our Taoiseach.

"We really need to do something about the culture in the country at the moment."

Licenced drivers

Mr Brophy said the law around being accompanied by someone who has their licence is being broken "on a daily basis".

"I'll see it in the next half an hour to an hour wherever I'm driving and we see it at our test centres," he said.

"You can go to any test centre today around the country... and you will see young men and women arrive on their own, in their own car with no L plates on.

"They'll put their L plates on for their test, they go and do their test - maybe they'll pass, maybe they'll fail

"But if they fail, they'll take down their L plates and they'll drive out on the busy main roads again".

Mr Brophy said test centres need to stop "turning a blind eye".

"Regardless of their age, they're learners and they shouldn't be on the road unaccompanied," he said.

"We have to stop turning a blind eye to behaviour that's going on in test centres and behaviour that's going on around the country".

'Setting the example'

Mr Brophy said it is not just learner drivers who are at fault for bad behaviour on the roads.

"Some of it is down to learner drivers but a lot of it is down to the people that should know better now that they have their full licence," he said.

"They're setting the example on the road for our younger drivers and we need them to set a better example.

"We also need learner drivers as well to take responsibility for their own habits, to go by the rules and not to be driving unaccompanied."

He suggested that what is needed is "more safety on the roads" rather than more driving lessons.

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