Learner drivers' cars to have speed restricted
Technology will be installed in every car used by a leaner driver that will cap its power, under plans unveiled today.
Road safety chiefs want to limit the acceleration or capacity of engines being used by inexperienced motorists as part of a crackdown on road deaths.
Noel Brett, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), said that once the right device or technology is found new laws will be brought in to make it mandatory.
“We are searching to find the most appropriate way of limiting the power of a car – that already happens for motorcycles,” he said.
The road safety chief said bringing in restrictions on car engine size for learner drivers alone was too simplistic.
“That wouldn’t work and that would have all sorts of issues for our community,” he insisted, at the launch of the Government’s five-year road safety strategy.
“What we have to find is the mechanism to limit vehicles, mechanically or otherwise, that keeps people as safe as possible without denying them access to [safety] features that are on bigger cars.”
Mr Brett said research is already under way to find the most appropriate way of stopping inexperienced drivers getting behind the wheel of powerful cars.
The technology is also likely to limit anyone else using the same car.
“We will find the most appropriate technology, whether it is engine limiters, engine governors, speed restricters or some other technology to make sure that young and inexperienced drivers don’t have access to the most dangerous vehicles,” he said.
“Learners will be able to drive the family car but the car will have to be restricted.
“Once we have concluded the engineering research to get the best way of doing that we will introduce it by legislation.”
Motorcycles used by learners already have to meet power-to-weight ratios while the speed on large trucks and buses is also capped.
