Fine Gael has called for a radical overhaul in driver training and testing, claiming the current system is ineffective in improving driving standards on Irish roads.
In a 10-point plan launched yesterday, the party called for the establishment of a road accident investigation unit to change Ireland's outdated speed limits and road signs.
It also appealed for reform in the insurance sector to ensure insurance companies do not deliberately price themselves out of the sector for young drivers.
According to Fine Gael, the current legislation needs to be overhauled to ensure individuals and solicitors who knowingly make fraudulent claims are liable to criminal prosecution.
Fine Gael's spokesman on transport, Mr Denis Naughten TD, said the 10-point plan could dramatically reduce the number of provisional licence-holders on our roads. He said provisional licences were designed to allow new drivers to gain experience to become full licence-holders, but the current situation means a provisional licence is exactly the same as a full licence and does not encourage drivers to achieve that goal.
"The facts speak for themselves," he said. "One accident on our roads every 19 minutes. This weekend there have been six young people killed on our roads in traffic accidents. Behind these statistics are tragic stories and families left to pick up the pieces."
The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, said the 386 people killed on our roads in the last 12 months was not inevitable and could have been avoided.
The plan launched yesterday is designed to address three broad areas: securing safer driving from people at all stages of their driving life; introducing a reformed driving test, and the creation of a better driving environment.