Up to seven cars a day are being seized by Gardaí from unaccompanied learner drivers since the new driving laws were put in place on the 22nd of December 2018, under the Clancy Amendment.
The Clancy Amendment allows for the seizure of vehicles driven by unaccompanied learner drivers. It also seeks to penalise car owners who knowingly allow their vehicles to be used by an unaccompanied learner driver. The new law allows the owners of these vehicles to be fined and gives Gardaí the power to seize their cars. Other reasons are no NCT, no driving licence and no tax or no insurance.
The Irish Times recently revealed that more than 125,000 learner drivers, who obtained a learner permit between 1984 and 2016, have never even taken a driving test. This is because a large number of drivers have been renewing their learner permit every year after applying for, but not sitting, the driving test.
The Government has stated that it will continue to put measures into place to prevent learner drivers not sitting the driving test.