The rules are set to come into force from October
The new rules are set to come in on 1st October(Image: Getty)
Drivers applying for their provisional driving license in Northern Ireland from the 1st October are set to be subject to a new set of rules aimed at making our roads safer.
It is hoped that the new Graduated Driving Licensing will reduce the disproportionate involvement of new, primarily young, drivers in fatal and serious road traffic collisions.
The new rules will introduce a revised training, testing, and post-test framework for new drivers and motorcyclists and has been launched as part of a new Road Safety Strategy Action Plan, which has been developed in partnership with the Emergency Services, other departments and agencies, and focuses on the latest road safety interventions.
GDL will include a compulsory minimum learning period of six months before a learner driver can take their practical driving test and a programme of training that outlines the learning required to become a safe driver, and which must be completed and recorded in a logbook before a learner driver can take their practical driving test.
The minister also announced an extension in the restriction period from the current 12 months to 24 months, requiring new drivers to display a distinguishing mark (plate) on the vehicle for two years after receiving a full licence.
There will be a period of six months with nighttime driving restrictions for new drivers under 24, alongside age-related nighttime passenger restrictions for newly qualified drivers, with an exemption for immediate family members.
Learner drivers will also be allowed to drive on a motorway for the first time as long as they are accompanied by an approved Driving Instructor. Once the learner passes their test, they will be issued with the new ‘R’ plate, which also permits them to drive on a motorway at the posted speed limit.
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