It comes into effect from midnight tonight.
Any car owner that allows a learner driver to use their car unaccompanied will face fines or a jail sentence under a new law that will come into effect from midnight tonight, 21 December.
The so-called Clancy Amendment means that any car owner that’s found to be in breach of this rule will face fines of up to €1,000, the possibility of up to six months in prison, or they could have their vehicles seized.
At present, the legislation allows for penalties and fines to be imposed on unaccompanied learner drivers but not on the owners of the vehicles. This will change after midnight on 21 December.
The new regulation is in memory of Geraldine Clancy and her daughter Louise, from Kilworth in Co Cork, who were on their way to the library on 22 December, 2015 when they were involved in a collision with an unaccompanied learner driver.
Both were killed.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) have also said that an average of 12 fatal road crashes a year involve a learner driver and about ten of those are not accompanied by a qualified driver.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, @Shane_RossTD, has today announced the commencement of the unaccompanied learner driver provisions of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018, with effect from 22nd December 2018, known as the ‘Clancy Amendment’. https://t.co/xnMflpYMBa https://t.co/ADMit1ELIA
— RSA Ireland (@RSAIreland) December 21, 2018
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