Press Room
Long-Promised Rules of the Road Booklet still not available - Macra
The booklet, which is the recommended text for those intending to sit their driving test, has not been updated since 1995 despite changes in speed limits and the transition from miles to kilometres.
Mr Markey points out that it is now over twelve months since Minister for Transport Martin Cullen promised to deal with the issue. During a Dail Debate on 24 March 2005 Minister Cullen stated:
My Department has commenced activity to update the rules of the road booklet. It is the intention to publish a new rules of the road booklet in draft form by mid-year and to invite comments or submissions thereon. The new booklet would then be finalised in the autumn.
Speaking today, Mr Markey said that the Minister had also subsequently made comments in the Dail, and outside it, promising the imminent arrival of the new booklet. Mr Markey said that it was unbelievable that the Minister has still not acted on his promise to rectify the situation.
'Given the current focus on road safety, it is unacceptable that this publication has not been updated in the past 11 years. There are currently over 400,000 provisional drivers on our roads and it is frightening to think that these people are actually studying out-of-date information in terms of the regulations governing proper and safe driving,' said Mr Markey.
Mr Markey said that the tardiness in updating the publication was typical of the way the whole driver education, testing and licensing system was being operated in this country.
'It is sending out a very poor signal to prospective drivers when the manual they are supposed to use for training has not been updated in over a decade. We have had litany of empty promises from the Minister on the issue but the time for procrastination has long since passed. It is vital that the most up-to-date material is made available to people learning to drive on our roads,' concluded Mr Markey.
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