Vol. 536 No. 5
285 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has examined the live and learn plates proposal; and his views on whether this proposal has potential in contributing towards safer driving. [14962/01]
The Government road safety strategy between 1998 and 2002 acknowledges the importance of driver training and testing, with the qualification that these could not be expected to yield road safety benefits on the scale of measures directly targeted at speeding, alcohol and seat belt wearing which have been prioritised by the strategy. Driver formation is being assisted in a number of ways, including the introduction of a driver theory test for applicants for first provisional licences which I recently announced. Various suggestions for schemes of graduated driver licensing have been made to my Department, including that referred to in the question. It is not proposed at present to prioritise this approach.
