South Meath Driving School

Over the October Bank Holiday week-end, we came into line with European drink driving levels. The current level dropped from 80 milligrams (mg) to 50mg for all drivers and from 80mg to 20mg for learner, newly qualified and professional drivers. Therefore, for the learner driver, i.e. those procuring a Learner Permit on or after the 4^th of April, 2011, and for a period of two years after passing the driving test, the drink driving limit is reduced to 20mg of alcohol per 100millilitres of blood. In a word, that’s about a glass of beer. This limit also applies to professional drivers such as Goods and Public Service Vehicle drivers. Those drivers are referred to here as ‘specified.’ It applies to those drivers when not driving in their professional capacity. So, the message is crystal clear at this stage, “If you drive, don’t drink.”

But there’s a slight easing of the pain in that there’s a new tiered penalty system to deal with those offences, there being a fixed penalty charge in place as follows –

50mg – 80mg, the driver is arrested and required to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at a Garda station. Where the driver is not ‘specified’ and hasn’t availed of the fixed penalty option in the previous 3 years, he will be served with a fixed penalty notice and receive a fine of 400eur and will be disqualified from driving for 6 months.

80mg – 100mg, as above, and where the driver is not ‘specified,’ will receive a fixed penalty notice with a fine of 400eur and disqualification for 6 months.

20mg – 80mg, as above and the driver is ‘specified,’ there’s a fine of 200eur and disqualification for three months.

Common among those offences outlined is that there is no attendance at the District Court, thus freeing up the Courts and its administrative web and, for a first time offender, it’s a small taste of what might have been.

Gay Byrne, speaking on behalf of the Road Safety Authority, attributed the push to save lives over the last eleven years to saving about 1,100 from road deaths, equivalent to the population of Kilkee or Mohill. When the lower drink driving limits were introduced in Queensland, Australia, there was a reduction of 18% in fatal road accidents and 14% in serious injury collision.

A few bare facts on drink driving in Ireland –

• Alcohol is estimated to contribute to 1 in 3 fatal crashes.
• In 1 in 4 fatal crashes, the driver had consumed alcohol.
• Any alcohol impairs driving and increases the risk of collision.
• Alcohol is twice as potent when a driver is tired.
• Almost 1 in 5 drivers killed on our roads were under 80mg of alcohol when killed.
• Every fatal road crash in Ireland costs the State 2.5 million euro.

At this time of year, with evenings shorter and darker, pedestrians and cyclists are more vulnerable. Be wise and wear a high visibility vest. Use the foothpath where provided and don’t be distracted when crossing the road. School goers are especially fond of using  mobile phones, walking in 3s and 4s and mostly oblivious to the traffic around them.

For the first time in modern driving, we are close to getting the death rate below 200 this year. Remember Willie’s words, ‘Men’s evil manners live in brass, their virtues we write in water.’

The Road Safety Authority, in a recent publication, have announced that it is now a legal requirement that private buses involved in the organised transport of children be fitted with appropriate and ‘fit for purpose’ safety belts or restraint systems as of the 31^st of October, 2011.

This applies to the transportation of a group of 3 or more children where transporting the children is the primary purpose of the journey. This includes school transport bus services, school trips or organised outings such as sporting or social events. It does not include the transport of children on bus services offered to the general public. Buses involved in the Department of Education’s School Transport Scheme are required to be fitted with safety belts since January, 2007.

Organisations or individuals engaged in hiring or contracting bus services for the organised transport of children should ensure that the vehicle used is fitted with safety belts and that these belts meet the required standards.

The majority of buses in the national fleet should have documentation to show that their safety belts or restraint systems meet the required standard. This is due to the additional requirement, introduced in Oct. 2010, as part of the road worthiness test, where owners of buses have been required to present certification showing that the vehicle’s safety belts were installed to an acceptable standard.

It remains the legal responsibility of the bus owner and driver to ensure that their vehicle and all its components are in such condition that no danger is likely to be caused to any person. This includes having the correct certification for the safety belts or restraints.

Failure to comply with the stated requirements may result in a fine of up to 2,000 eur, imprisonment for up to three months or both.

Parents, too, have a moral duty to see that their children travel to school or on excursions etc. in safety. They should also enquire of their children if the use of such belts or restraints is properly checked and supervised.

Mothers, more often, find themselves transporting their own or other children on the many and varied occasions of life’s demands. It doesn’t take much of a journey before the squeals of near murder emanate from the back seat. For children get bored easily, especially on their way to school over and above a trip to the beach. It usually results in mama issuing a severe verbal warning or, worse, turning around and swinging her handbag at one of the warring cats. Concentration on the driving is temporarily interrupted which can result in a crash, sometimes with fatal consequences.

Parents, ensure that each child is properly belted up – remembering that those under 3 years must not travel in a car unless fitted with the correct child seat. Those 3 or over, usually up to 11 or 12 years, must use the correct child seat or booster. Don’t use a rearward-facing child seat in the front seat, for fear of possible serious injury from the airbag. Drivers are responsible for ensuring that all passengers under 17 years are properly restrained or belted. Apart from the risk to injury, there may be 4 penalty points awaiting from the boys in blue, plus a further one by your insurance company.

The Road Safety Authority is urging motorcyclists, scooter and moped users to take greater care on the roads this summer. They are urged to wear the correct protective equipment at all times, even going to the local shop for the newspaper.

A stark statistic shows that motorcyclists represent 1 in 10 road deaths so far this year, despite making up less than 1 in 50 of the vehicle fleet on our roads. Up to July 14^th, 11 have died plus one pillion passenger. This toll bears worse news over the past week-end when two more motorcyclists died, at Cellbridge and Kilalla. These were two seasoned bikers in their late thirties and early forties. The figures show that bikers are three times more likely to be killed on Irish roads than their counterparts  in Europe.

In the event of a crash, a motorcyclist has little chance of survival. Warm weather may entice riders to leave off the heavy protective gear. T-Shirts and trousers are of little use when the big bang suddenly arrives. Doing a tumble off your motorbike at 50 k/ph, without protective gear, is similar to falling off a second story building into a cheese greater, the experts tell us.

I’m glad that there’s a much more stringent driving test for bikers now. At least it should make younger learners aware of the dangers, unlike too many of those who feel they have ‘graduated.’  The antics that some bikers get up to wouldn’t compare to those of the brilliant entertainer, Martin Griffin, who performed heroics at the Kells Festival recently. Martin is a highly trained performer/entertainer/ stuntman who has performed all over the world, makes a living out of it and survives. One difficult task that he undertakes is balancing the bike on the front wheel as he makes his rounds. Despite his prowess, backup and training, even he took a tumble at the Kells venue. But, he had the proper protective gear and it went almost unnoticed, so quickly was he back up on his machine without a scratch. The truth is that too many bikers get up to antics that are more suited to the Griffin man, like speeding and riding on the rear wheel while doing high speed. It’s a great thrill but it’s only a fleeting one, whereas the pain of a fatality is borne for life by those left behind.

Research shows that half of all crashes involving motorbikes are caused by other drivers. As a bike rider is much less visible than cars or lorries on the road, other drivers should be on the alert for them, check mirrors before making turns, especially to the right and at roundabouts.

Bikers should ensure to follow those basic rules – wear protective gear, helmet, gloves, body armour on the elbows, knees, shoulders and hips. On the outside, wear a high visibility vest and footwear that protects the ankles. Service the bike regularly. Bikers should keep in mind that each week twenty riders or pillion passengers are killed or injured on Irish roads. With the weight of such statement, let you not be one of those twenty next week. Change an attitude and save a life.

Many applicants for the Learner Permit are finding themselves very disappointed at being in the new regime of Essential Driver Training (EDT). Where a Theory Test was passed before that deadline of April 4^th, many were of the opinion, or incorrectly informed, that they then did not have to undergo EDT. That is incorrect and the watermark is the procurement of the Learner Permit before the 4^th of April this year. Therefore, the passing of the Theory prior to that date is immaterial.

Another misconception I’m hearing about is where an applicant applies for the Learner Permit and assumes that s/he can then practise driving on the public road. Let it be known that such person may be driving while uninsured, as a Permit or Licence must be held before insurance is valid. Many problems may arise with an application for a Permit, such as the file being incomplete, like photos, fee, identity, medical report etc. falling short. The process may take many weeks in such case, so, until the Learner Permit is in your hand, don’t drive. The day of submission of the file to the motortax office will not be the date of issue of the Permit and even where the Council forward a receipt for the fee and application, that does not equate to the Permit which is the legal document required to drive.

Drivers of all shapes and makes, of the adequate genre and inadequate genius have one common denominator when it comes to the driving test – they believe that it fails them, and not that they fail it, when they fail it. For those who do not come up to the mark when the bar is raised, when a little perspiration is evident, there’s the Post Mortem without the Pathologist. Well, it’s what we all do every day in our lives, whether related to important matters or just the weather. ‘Why’ is the question. In the case of Cormac Reilly, last Sunday’s referee in the Kildare – Dublin match, he’s around somewhere listening to all the comments and getting feedback on why he gave the infamous free; there’s the T.V. and Press analysis, not to mention the tried and trusted interpretations of the multitudes who change wine into water at their beloved hostelry .

In a driving test situation, the tester is rarely confronted over his or her marking or Test Report. They will state that they are not permitted to discuss the reason they applied a particular fault in Grade 1, 2 or 3. However, they may give feedback on some aspects of the test, if requested. This is in the form of being merely told that the marking system is explained on the back of the Report Sheet – that’s the colourful sheet outlining the various faults and grades applied to any particular test. An example of a fault may be given by a tester but, they won’t refer to the fault(s) incurred by the driver who may have failed. Any applicant who fails a test may appeal the matter to the District Court which may allow or reject the appeal. If allowed, the applicant is merely permitted to re-sit the test free of charge; however, the Court has not the power to order the grant of a Certificate of Competency in the case.

Interpreting the Driver Report Form is another day’s work. For example, under the heading ‘Take Proper Observation,’ there are seven sub-headings for scrutiny. We’ll take the one ‘turning left.’ So, a fault will be incurred if a driver doesn’t take adequate observation before and while turning left (into a junction.) This is where the ambitious and well-trained driver fouls up on test day and wonders aloud where this fault came from. Firstly, the correct position on the left has to be taken up, then there should be a check on the rear (internal) and left wing mirrors and, while more likely in 2^nd gear’s speed, look into the junction before and while entering it. Reason being,  there could be a cyclist, for instance, moving up on the inside and intending to proceed straight on; (should the driver not have observed him, there could be a little impact and the one who’s insured more often than not  pays the piper.)  Then, there could be an obstruction within the mouth of the junction – say, a pedestrian moving across. Hence, the reason for the mirrors and observation.

The applicant will often believe that he or she complied with the correct steps and wonders again and again where the fault could have come from. The tester doesn’t require X-ray eyes to see if the turn was done safely and adequately. It will all be quite obvious. This is how well a driver has to interpret this one manoeuvre that, in itself, appears simple and puerile. There are about one hundred such ‘faults’ to be negotiated in the pressurised half hour that is the driving test. And, in looking further at the same ‘turning left,’ there are other considerations to boot. At no. 11 paragraph comes the headline, ‘Maintain reasonable progress and avoid undue hesitancy when,’ you guessed it, ‘turning left.’ So, not only have you to take good observation before and while entering the junction – and you can only do that by being in a low gear – you must also get on with the job at a reasonable pace. It does appear slightly contradictory. And, just in case you thought there was no more to ‘turning left,’ there’s further headlines for consumption by the hard pressed applicant; under further headings he must, ‘position the vehicle correctly and in good time;’ ‘give correct signals in good time,’ ‘adjust speed to suit/on approach,’ and ‘yield right of way as required.’

Those manoeuvres may seem simplistic to the regular or even average driver who never had an accident, drives ten miles every day and is aged over 50. Yes they would say it’s a ‘cake walk.’ The real problem that I see with such a turning is the cyclist moving up on the inside or the pedestrian moving across an obscured junction, suddenly. It is very hard on an inexperienced driver to impose all those technicalities. That’s why this new system has come into operation, to give such driver more time to learn and practise. So why then does the more seasoned driver have a problem with those technicalities, one might ask. It may be that they acquire habits which are fairly safe and they get by having the odd scare or close call, or indeed, no such close calls at all.

The RSA’s reply to all who whinge about the high standard of the test and the likes of those nit-picking sub-headings, is that there were 212 deaths on our roads last year and many more times that in serious injury. Safety requires a higher level of awareness to danger that lurks within every junction, especially when you can’t see into it.