Gay Byrne brands driving test 'sick joke'

**Ringo** · 24/12/2006, 5:41 AM

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independe...issue_id=15041

Of the proposed new test, he added: "When somebody eventually gets a permit to drive, we will know they will have a reasonable standard of driving right from the beginning. Furthermore, after they get their permit to drive, and this particularly applies to young people, they will have to be accompanied by a four-year-licence driver at all times for the first year.

"Secondly, if they infringe any of the driving regulations under the Road Traffic Act, they go back to square one. And during the first year after they get their permit we are working on the idea that if they are caught in a random breath test and they are found to have any alcohol whatsoever in their bloodstream - forget about the limit: any alcohol whatsoever - they will lose their permit to drive and they will have to go back to square one and start at thebeginning."

Sounds a bit tough to me. I've been driving 20 years now, but think , if you pass your test, having to have a qualified driver still , is a bit much.

**dahamsta** · 24/12/2006, 2:14 PM

The whole "gay brands" thing confused the feck out of me, I was reading and re-reading the article thinking things like "hugo boss?" and "ysl?" the whole way through.

**strangeirish** · 24/12/2006, 2:29 PM

At first I thought some student driver drove through the front door of an IKEA store.

**BohsPartisan** · 27/12/2006, 9:43 AM

I thought the driving test was being accused of homophobia.

**SligoBrewer** · 27/12/2006, 2:26 PM

Originally Posted by BohsPartisan

I thought the driving test was being accused of homophobia.

same here..

can someone change the title please

**Ringo** · 27/12/2006, 8:37 PM

Originally Posted by SligoBrewer

same here..

can someone change the title please

Thats the title on the article. has no one an opinion an the driving test?

**Conor H** · 28/12/2006, 11:28 PM

Becoming a good driver comes with expierience.Any do-do could pass the Test and still be an awful driver.The probelm on the roads is down to inadaquete roads,speeding,drink driving and poor drivers.Not the Test itself.

Although expierienced drivers are often some of the best they tend to develop bad habits which can often lead to be fatal.Those who have their test on the horizon keep in tune with good habits until they've passed.

I think a Test every 3 years would help cut the death tolls.

Gaybo ranting on with scurilous tripe is just part and parcel of the current roads fiasco!

**pete** · 01/01/2007, 4:41 PM

Thread title changed.

Gay Byrne is no more qualified than any of us on road safety. He has just come out with pub talk comment. I've yet to see him actually do anything in his new role besides moan...

**Macy** · 02/01/2007, 7:49 AM

Originally Posted by pete

Gay Byrne is no more qualified than any of us on road safety. He has just come out with pub talk comment.

PR appointment by the king of the press release. Like so many laws in the state, enforcement is the problem - unqualified drivers are supposed to be accompanied by someone with a full licence as it is.

The total of the road safety authority intiatives amount to a campaign to reduce the drink drive limit and target those complying with the current law when the vast majority of those caught are many multiples the current limit; and to introduce more restrictions on learner and newly qualified drivers when there's strict rules in place totally ignored (e.g. being accompanied, motorway driving etc).

There is no need for further laws when we could simply start enforcing the current ones!