Boy (13) found driving in Waterford was taking parents ‘for a spin’

Car owner to be brought before courts while Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer appointed to the boy

14/03/2022 - NEWS - The Road Safety Authority (RSA) and An Garda Síochána have launched their St. Patrick’s Weekend Bank Holiday road safety appeal.  GV from the Garda checkpoint on the Chapelizod Road.  Photograph Nick Bradshaw for The Irish Times
When asked what was going on, the gardaí were told that the family were 'just out for a spin'. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw/The Irish Times

Gardaí have urged people to have “a bit of cop” on Ireland’s roads following the discovery of a 13-year-old behind the wheel of a car in Co Waterford on Thursday.

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter) the Garda road traffic account detailed how gardaí on a routine patrol in the southeast passed vehicle which was being driven by someone who was suspiciously childlike.

“They remarked to one another about how strikingly young looking the driver appeared to be and decided to stop the car,” the post said.

It quickly emerged that their suspicions were entirely justified.

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“Gardaí then discovered that the driver was just 13 years of age and the two passengers in the car were the boy’s parents,” the social media post continued.

When asked what was going on, the gardaí were told that the family were “just out for a spin”.

Whatever the reason for the journey, it was against the law not least because a person has to be 17 before they can apply for a provisional driving licence.

The owner of the car is set to be brought before the courts while a Garda Juvenile Liaison Officer has been appointed to the boy.

“Have a bit of cop,” the X post concluded.

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Conor Pope

Conor Pope

Conor Pope is Consumer Affairs Correspondent, Pricewatch Editor