The chairman of the National Safety Council in the Irish Republic has been accused of “an outrageous attack” on young drivers by suggesting that any reduction in their insurance premiums would mean more deaths on the roads.
Safety chief Edward Shaw claimed that the current high premiums acted as a deterrent and warned that reductions would put more young, inexperienced drivers on the roads and have “a disastrous impact” on the accident toll.
His criticism, he made clear, did not apply to the recent scheme of reduced cover offered by the Hibernian Group, as it included specific safety measures.
The Irish National Youth Council denounced Mr Shaw's remarks as “outrageous”, as did the Motor Insurance Justice Action Group, a young driver lobby which is campaigning for “a fair deal” for under-25 motorists.
But there was strong support for his criticism from the Automobile Association. Its official Irish spokesman, Conor Faughnan, said that last year some 55 drivers aged between 17 and 24 were killed on Irish roads.
He added: "No matter how confident young drivers may be, they are inexperienced and it is the cocktail of inexperience and confidence that is so dangerous.”
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