Is the Driving Test in Ireland sufficient to Prevent the Slaughter?

There will always be room for improvement in the depth and scope of a Driving Test and Ireland is no exception to this rule. The Driving Test in Ireland has undergone some excellent changes in the last couple of years but still lags behind that of the U.K who have been in the forefront of Driving Test standards for many years. Preventing the continuous slaughter on the roads requires an overhaul not just of the Driving Test, but of the whole Learner Driver and Provisional Licensing system that is currently in force.

The debate about Driving Standards and Driving for Life versus the areas and techniques that that are evaluated on a Driving Test, has always been heated and full of not a little controversy.

Most young Learner Drivers are usually only concerned with the passing of the Driving Test, since for years it has been perpetuated that once you have passed the Driving Test then your learning days are over. In addition to this you must obviously be an excellent driver if you have passed the Driving Test. Both of these fallacious arguments need to be well and truly consigned to the trash can since the elements that are currently tested on the Irish Driving Test do not come close to covering a broad spectrum of every day driving experiences.

                                       Robin in the Studio  October 2006

                                 recording the first C.D Rom!

At the present time, on the Irish Driving Test there is no Emergency Stop; no High Speed driving and no Reverse parking not to mention time on an Irish rural road. All of these areas need to be incorporated into an upgraded Driving Test together with the elimination of such nasties as Driving Unaccompanied while on a Provisional License; sitting the Driving Test without having taken sufficient Professional Lessons and sitting the Driving Test “just for experience” without the necessary preparation .

Top European Driving Test Standards require that a certain number of professional lessons have been undertaken before applying for the Driving Test. With an ever increasing need to reduce our exhaust gas emissions, Green driving techniques and eco friendly principles are about to be introduced to the U.K Driving Test in 2007 which of course means that Professional Instructors will be required to be teaching these very essential skills. They themselves will be tested on these techniques as part of the process of continuing development.

Standardisation of Driving regulations and Learner Driver requirements is gradually being implemented by the E.U but many of the desirable levels will not be achieved for some time to come. So in the meantime it is important that each country work steadily towards these standards without waiting for the E.U directives to come into force.

When the Driving Test in Ireland has undergone the major makeover that is required which includes reforming the ever lengthening waiting list then we will start to reap the benefits of fewer accidents and a reduced fatality rate which is amongst the worst in Europe. It is not an exaggeration to describe the current carnage on Irish roads as slaughter! Every week people young and not so young are being killed and these so called accidents are entirely preventable once the necessary regulations are put in place and rigorously enforced.

Enforcement of new laws and regulations is never popular especially when there has been such a lax attitude to the question of road safety for so long but eventually the message will get through and results will follow.

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