Over 560 fixed charge notices were issued to unaccompanied learner drivers in Kerry in a two-year period.
The figures were provided by the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan following a query from Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly in the Dáil recently.
It’s against the law to drive unaccompanied on a learner permit.
Learner drivers must be accompanied at all times by someone who has held a full, valid driving licence in the same category for a minimum of two years.
Leaners caught driving unaccompanied can receive a fixed charge notice and a fine of €160 along with two penalty points.
Between January and the beginning of June this year, Gardaí issued 111 fixed charge notices, or fines, to learners drivers caught unaccompanied in Kerry.
Last year, 283 such fixed charge notices were issued in Kerry and in 2023, Gardaí issued 173 fixed charge notices to unaccompanied learner drivers in Kerry.
During the first five months of this year, there have been over 4,700 fixed charge notices issued to unaccompanied learner drivers nationwide.
The fewest number of fixed charge notices were issued so far this year was in Donegal at 51, while the Dublin Metropolitan Region Western had the highest number of fixed charge notices issued this year at 749 as of the start of June.
