Donegal sees surge in unaccompanied learner drivers caught by gardaí
In Q4 2024, gardaí caught 39 learner drivers travelling without a qualified driver in Donegal, a staggering 95% increase on the 20 incidents recorded during Q4 2023
Donegal has recorded the sharpest rise in the number of unaccompanied learner drivers caught by Gardaí.
Figures show a near doubling of detections in the final quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.
In Q4 2024, gardaí caught 39 learner drivers travelling without a qualified driver in Donegal, a staggering 95% increase on the 20 incidents recorded during Q4 2023. The spike in detections highlights a growing issue in the county, raising concerns about compliance with learner permit regulations and overall road safety.
The Irish Road Haulage Association, IRHA, is calling for a root and branch review of the Road Safety Authority and their operation of the Irish driving test system. The IRHA says that an inadequate testing system is forcing young learner drivers out on our roads without a full license. The IRHA is concerned for the safety of its drivers who are coming across inexperienced drivers on a daily basis on Irish roads.
According to the IRHA, young drivers, in particular in rural Ireland, need their car to get to work and significant delays in the driver testing system are forcing young learner drivers to make difficult choices.
The IRHA President, Ger Hyland, has called for a radical overhaul of our driving test system to include testing for motorway driving skills, night-time driving and safe overtaking on secondary roads. He has branded our testing system a laughing stock and compared it to a pilot being taught how to fly a plane without ever leaving the runway.
“The current 40-minute driving test allows for an approximate driving time of between 15 and 20 minutes, often in heavy urban, slow-moving traffic,” he said. “This would be a great test of one’s ability to sit in a traffic jam, but if we are honestly testing driving skills and driver preparedness, the test, as it stands, is a shambolic exercise in raising funds for the RSA. The increases in the numbers of learner drivers caught driving unaccompanied are only the ones Gardaí are catching, and we feel this is just the tip of the iceberg”
The Irish Road Haulage Association have called for driver education to be a part of the school curriculum and has suggested that each student would be vigorously tested in their ability to drive before they leave secondary school.
Across the country, detections of unaccompanied learner drivers also rose, though at less dramatic rates. The Dublin Region, which typically sees the highest overall numbers, reported 1,007 detections in Q4 2024, up 20% from 839 in the same quarter of the previous year. Galway recorded a 35% increase, with figures rising from 79 to 107.
Other divisions saw moderate increases. Waterford, Kilkenny, and Carlow recorded a 2.4% rise, while Louth, Cavan, and Monaghan reported a 22% increase. Cork City and Cork County saw rises of 9% and 21% respectively, and Kerry experienced a 39% surge. Sligo and Leitrim also recorded a significant jump of 83%.
Limerick saw a 37% rise in detections, climbing from 65 cases in 2023 to 89 in 2024. However, Clare and Tipperary bucked the national trend, with a 12% decrease in detections, falling from 91 to 80.
The sharp increase in Donegal is likely to reignite debate about the enforcement of learner driver regulations in rural counties, where public transport options can be limited and reliance on personal vehicles is higher. Gardaí have reiterated calls for learner drivers to ensure they are properly accompanied and fully compliant with licensing rules.