The accompanied driver rule insists that anyone driving under a provisional licence must have a driver with a full licence, and who has held that licence for at least two years, in the car with them at all times.
Almost 50% of drivers in Ireland now believe this rule should be scrapped.
New research by Aviva Insurance shows 25% of those think the rule should be removed permanently, while another 25% believe it should just be a temporary measure while test waiting lists are cleared.
Currently, some learner drivers in certain areas of the country are waiting up to 50 weeks for a test date.
In order to combat these wait times and clear the back log, 19% of drivers believe an amnesty should be granted to everyone on the waiting list, similar to that which was granted in 1979.
That would see all learner drivers who have applied for a driving test receive a full licence, without ever having to actually sit the test.
Mike Kavanagh from Aviva Driving School explains that this amnesty is not as clever as it may sound.
"The number of cars on our roads over 40 years ago was significantly less than those on our roads today and it is no great surprise that most of those surveyed would consider that the introduction of an amnesty for learner drivers would be reckless. Today’s cars are faster and more powerful than those built in the 70s”.
The penalties for a learner who is found to be driving a car unaccompanied can vary.
"These include the impounding of the car, and the owner of the vehicle could be fined up to €1,000, in addition to receiving four penalty points on their licence.
"The reality is that a learner driver with no accompanying driver has no insurance cover if they cause an accident".
