'I am disgusted' - Kildare mother calls out man who gave learner driver daughter abuse

Learning to drive is certainly not an easy and straightforward thing to do, especially in busy towns like Naas in Co. Kildare.

It might seem obvious that leeway should be given to help learner drivers on the roads, like allowing them space and giving them patience during their learning period, but that is not always the case.

Recently, a concerned and frustrated mother from Naas posted a message on a popular Facebook group after a particularly frightening and upsetting experience.

The woman and her daughter, who is a learner driver, were out practicing near Naas Town when a man in a lorry let road rage take control of him, and really upset the pair.

The post has since received a lot of feedback from local people with other concerned parents and learner drivers sharing their opinion and experiences of road rage directed at learner drivers.

The post said: "Honestly what is wrong with people. Daughter learning to drive and had her out on road today.

"Driving up Dublin road and a lorry up our backside. She cut out at lights at small Tesco and I was telling her not to panic even though driver behind was getting impatient.

"Anyway went at lights and lorry behind didn’t as lights went red. Now we were turning right to go to Ballycane when the lorry, who was going straight on by the way, started beeping and cursing and gave my daughter the middle finger.

"I am actually disgusted that any man would treat a learner driver like that and even more disgusted to treat a young girl with such distain. I hope you haven’t got daughters".

Another mother with a son living just down the road in Sallins has had very similar experiences while her son is learning to drive.

She told us, "my husband brings him on the new Sallins bypass and every time, if his driving to slow or cuts out at the roundabout, he get beeped at or gets the fingers, it's very off-putting for him!"

Further comments under the post have detailed the same issue.

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One person said: "as a female, when I see learner drivers, male or female, it really brings me back to my learning days (I'm only driving 15 years). It reminds me to be as patient as possible as we all had to start somewhere. It's not easy and has gotten even worse, if that's possible, to be a learner on the road now. Bless any young person learning to drive; it's not easy".

Another person said: "certain lorry drivers think they own the road and we should be grateful they allow us to drive on their roads. It's happened to my own son when he was learning.

"There are so many drivers out there with no respect for L/N [playes], it's shocking. I was on the Naas Road a few months ago and a driver was stuck to an N driver but I waited and took my time....he didn't bully me," another person commented.

"My son has had the same experience out driving with a driving instructor in a car that clearly has learner imprinted on the side, back and front of car, and other vehicles have been driving up his arse, overtaking, so impatient. It drives me mad; everyone has to learn," a further comment read.