Gardai remind drivers about Clancy amendment as two cars impounded in Kildare

Gardai are  reminding  all learner permit drivers that they must be accompanied by a qualified driver after two cars were impounded in Kildare today.

The advice comes  exactly two years since the introduction of the Clancy Amendment to improve safety on roads. Today is the anniversary of the Clancy amendment being signed into law

It provides the gardai with an additional power to seize vehicles from learner drivers who were driving a vehicle without being accompanied by a qualified driver.

Today, December 22, the roads policing unit Naas, on an operation targeting learner permit holders driving unaccompanied- impounded two vehicles from unaccompanied learners on an early morning checkpoint.

Since the introduction of the Clancy Amendment on December 22, 2018, 5,827 vehicles have been seized from unaccompanied learner drivers.

In total, over 12,616 fixed charge notices have been issued to learner permit drivers for driving unaccompanied by a qualified driver over the same period.

Garda Chief Superintendent Ray Mc Mahon, Garda National Roads Policing Bureau,  said: "We cannot emphasise enough the importance of complying with this legislation.  Mechanically propelled vehicles  in inexperienced or unlicensed hands have the potential to severely or even fatally injure someone. An Garda Síochána will continue to enforce legislation that will improve road safety for all. Under the ‘Clancy Provision’ Learner or unlicensed drivers who choose to ignore this legislation will have their car seized and owners who allow their vehicle to be used will now face prosecution”.

The learner driver provisions of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2018, commenced on  December 22, 2018, known as the ‘Clancy Amendment’. These provisions make it an offence for the owner of a vehicle to knowingly allow an unaccompanied learner or an unlicensed person to drive his or her vehicle. 

The provisions also extend the power of detention under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 to allow the Garda Síochána to detain a vehicle being driven, in the Garda’s opinion, by an unaccompanied learner.