Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2022
110. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Transport if he will recognise that during the EDT programme the sponsor hours element of the process makes up 75% of the learner drivers required training time; and the way the RSA proposes to regulate those vital hours which are currently seen by most learners as totally optional and difficult to perform due to insurance and financial concerns. [31800/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraFor every learner driver, gaining experience on the road driving with a suitably qualified driver, is a vital part of the learning process. While the 12 Essential Driver Training (EDT) lessons are mandatory, there is no mandatory amount of experience to be had outside these lessons. This, and any experience gained outside the mandatory EDT lessons, is not subject to regulation. However, the more experience people have the better and safer their driving will be, and also the more likely they will be to pass a driving test.
I appreciate that insurance is expensive for learner drivers, but insurance companies price policies according to the statistical risk in driver categories, so the Deputy will appreciate that a learner driver with little or no experience on the roads or driving history would carry a significant risk loading for insurance underwriters. As drivers gain experience and accumulate years of incident-free driving, they can expect their insurance costs to drop substantially year-on-year.
