Reducing the number of penalty points inexperienced drivers are allowed to accumulate before they are put off the road has been recommended to the Department of Transport.
The initiative is one of a number suggested for inclusion in the new Driver Testing Agency, legislation for which was due to be debated in the Dáil yesterday evening.
Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland says the proposal had been raised during a recent meeting with Department of Transport officials on road safety.
"Road safety in Ireland is a male, and in particular a young male, issue. Yet the surprising thing is that young males have a better pass rate in the driving test than females.
"So in many cases it's not driver performance or driver ability. It seems to be that once young drivers get out on the open road that the problems begin," says Mr Faughnan.
AA Ireland has suggested a sliding scale of penalty points to "maximise the consequence of errors, and oblige young drivers not to become complacent once they get their full licence."
"Grading the penalty points system is just one of a number of initiatives we have proposed to improve driver safety. For example, a provisional driver could be allowed to collect just three penalty points before being off the road - so if they were caught speeding twice, they'd be banned from driving."
"Once a person becomes fully qualified they could then be allowed up to six points on their licence, nine points after one year and only the full 12 points after two years driving experience," adds Mr Faughnan.
A spokesman for the department confirmed that the chief executive of the Authority would soon be named. This assistant secretary grade post commands a salary of between €99,605 to €114,064 per annum.
The Bill was introduced after the European Commission took the Government to court over its failure to implement directive aimed at ensuring similar minimum driving test standards in all EU states.
To be located in Ballina, the Authority will aim to reduce the average of 39 weeks waiting for applicants hoping to sit their driving test.
Brian Farrell from the National Safety Council says initiatives such as tailored penalty points allowances were part of a moving away from the belief that driver safety is something that can be learned by rote.
"With regard to provisional or inexperienced drivers, we would like to see a zero blood-alcohol limit imposed. We'd also like further research into the effect of drugs and fatigue on crashes involving young males because a high proportion of these happen late at night," he adds.
It is currently not possible to find out if a driver receiving penalty points is on full or provisional licences. According to the Department of Transport, this is because the penalty points form, like accident report forms, does not stipulate that licence status to be recorded.
AA Ireland also wants the new Authority to end the "absurd anomaly in the statute book that a driver on a second provisional can drive unaccompanied".
