"and driving is not as sedate as in North America."

Are you kidding me? Anyone who could write that driving in North America is sedate has never been on our Southern California freeways and has clearly never been to NYC. It is just ridiculous to clump Mexico, Canada and Mexico together anyway! HELLO! Besides, I have also driven in Mexico and that is definitely not sedate.

"and driving is not as sedate as in North America."

Sorry, I meant Canada, Mexico and the US should generally not be clumped together.

I've driven in the U.S. and Canada and there's no comparison! Things have calmed down recently here in Ireland but speed here are as high or higher on little winding country roads as they are on big wide freeways in the states.

Check here and you'll see what i mean
http://www.dochara.com/info/driving/roads.php

I agree with Sean. I have only driven here and in Canada. The driving in Canada is noticably more calmer and orderly. Yet the driving test over there is piss easy, if someone actually fails their test, they are indeed an incompetent driver and need more practise. Yet here, you have people taking a driving test generally with at least six months or up to five or more years driving experience and failing their tests (over fifty percent depending upon the test center). Many of these people have never had an accident, speeding ticket or even a parking fine for that matter. One would really want to question the validity of a driving test. Bearing in mind that the driving test, tests for competency rather then perfection.

I think driving in Canada is crap compared to here in Ireland.

It's been a while since I drove in Ireland. What struck me most was the lack of intelligence, lack of skill, and poor cooperative between drivers. So ..... pretty much the same as everywhere else!

if you ask me wat went wrong in my test , i really dont know.i was intimidated.It was real shock for me that i had to drive like he expects(the tester) and that i had to follow his book of rules...when i follow the rules of his book it may not be right for other testers...it is much pitty that there is no transperency in irish driving test and it is the old traditional driving tester that decides whether to give license or not..if a person can drive to and fro tester safely ....is he not eligible to drive.if he can drive in roads without committing even one mistake is he not eligible to drive...Its lke you have to follow the books and drive which the full license holders do not... the driving test is still back dated and the man who decides is the tester and he never minds how much practise the learner who have done and how much money he would have spent in learning.....the driving license is mandatory to work then i think there should be a difference in testing...he is not looking for luxury he is looking for his livelihood,to continue doing his service to the society..boss please do change your preschool kind of behaviours in full driving testing..!

this is my second chance i have missed.I dont think i will get another test date before june 2008.what should i do! how i will travel to work place in the community like places where the public transport system is very poor.do the government has any plans of what follows next for people who have failed.how am I going to support my family ,how am I going to collect my children from creche.!!!can you give me an answer.Mr.Noel dempsey....!!this is not only my problem it is national problem and there should be a transperency in the full license test and should not be based on the mood of the tester!!!I think it is the money racketing business...pls think

In this discussion thread and in others on this web site I see complaints about examiners and I'd like to make a comment about it, since I have experience of both the instructor and examiner side of things.

Lots of people think that just because they are experienced drivers and haven't crashed they should automatically pass. Examiners get this a lot from drivers coming from other places and thinking their experience should automatically pass them. They don't realize that they have piled up bad habits over the years. The examiners' job is to check drivers against the standards set in their country, province or state. Anyone gong for a test must find out what these atandards are. Best way is to go to a professional instructor who knows what examiners want.

The road test in Canada might be piss easy but theres more accidents in Ireland than there is over here. I got my license here and I hope the bastards don't make me do another test when I move back to Ireland.

i think there should be an amnesty for people who have driven for years without points or accidents with a learner plate. why? because I know people who have failed their tests five and six times in dublin driven for ten to twelve years, have brought their children back and forth to school. Now they are taking the bus, taxi and a cousin of mine spent thousands on driving lessons and failed. I think driving schools should stop putting out advertisements about success rates and should give a reduction in fees to people who have handed over hundred to pass and fail.

Why? Why should any of you get something you don't deserve. Like 'em or not tests are there for a reason. No one drives like they expect you to in the test but it's a "TEST". Jump through the hoops and lots of yes sir no sir three bags full sir....for 1hr or you driving lives. Learn the rules and do exactly what they want. Then drive whatever way you want to.
I was so nervous when I took mine but I had no reason to be. I studied and practiced (cause it's a test!!) and I passed first time.

Me again. There is method to the madness in the way they make you drive and the rules they expect you to know for the driving test. They won't necessarly improve your skills at handling a winding road at 130kmph at 4:00am but they will give you a set of skill for how we all should drive on our roads during rush hour, when kids are playing on the side of the street and what a speed limit is. Even if you only remember 10% of what you had to know for that day it'll make you a better, safer driver for the rest of your life.

People who have been driving for even one year build up all kinds of bad habits that they are getting away with so they think it's OK. Taking a test after 4 or 5 years is going to be a shock. Better get to a driving school asap.

Eoin is right. The examiners know you're not going to drive like that all the time but at least you have to show them you know what's correct.

Emma, your attitude is particularly disturbing:
You have managed to display that you are not a competent drive, not just once but TWICE. And despite that, you think it's ok for you to be driving your children around. Grow up, take some responsibility for your actions by 1) stopping driving your kids around until you're competent, and either 2) learn to drive properly or 3) move to somewhere more appropirate for someone who clearly cannot drive!

Eoin is right. It is a test. People have to remember that when you step into your car, you are sitting in a potential deadly object. The test is to make sure that you dont make turn it into deadly object. The reason why the failure rate is so high in our country is people horrible attititude towards driving. People think it is ok to buy a car without any driving experience and drive on our roads, fail the test and drive home!!! Where is the logic here? Our government has put us in this mess by giving out Licences like looipops in the 80's due to a backlog (Joke!!) it is up to us to use our common sense and go out and prove that we are worthy to drive on our roads and reduce the carnage on our roads

I've beening driving in ireland for 3 and half years. i got a test when i was 17 and failed on one single point, retook the test in 2006....tester came back with alot of problems...now i've applied in december 2007 and its now april 2008 without a test date, when the new laws come into effect on june, I will continue to drive on my provisional licence. There are worse drivers out on irish roads without blaming it all on provisional drivers... Inishowen in county Donegal is one of the worst places to drive...as I said i've been driving for 3 years and yet I'm scared with the nick of driving around buncrana...people have no respect for other road users...another point I want to raise is if a provisional driver was driving from Milan head to Dublin...it would take up to 2hrs longer, as you cannot drive in northern ireland and seemly there is no signposts for the national road altertive as we cant drive on motorways either. provisional drivers who drive to dublin have no choice if you follow the signposts you will be on a motorway. Harsher penaltys for reckless driving on the countrys roads is whats needed not kicking over 20,000+ drivers off in June.

Provisional driver from Donegal

AS someone who has been involved in the training and safety field for a long time I have a few observations on the situation in Ireland (I've driven there many times and got my first license there):

1) After years of driving it's not easy to pass a test, in fact it's probably harder than as a beginner. You build bad habits and it's really difficult to get rid of them without training.

2) The Irish government is making a big mistake if it thinks making experienced "provisional" drivers pass a test is going to solve the crash rate problem. It'll improve road culture and make driving more organized and less stress but it takes more than that to reduce crashes.

3) From all the complaints above it looks like the system can't handle the changes and the time limit should be extended.

I think that the Goverment is at fault with thiss mess, although, i also think that all the learner drivers who have basically abused the loophole in the system are just as bad, no learner driver should be able to drive without a fully qualified driver sitting beside them, otherwise whats the point in having a license in the first place? if, like it has been said before that some provisional drivers have basically built a life around their provisional license and will be badly affected by the new law then, to be honest they only have themselves to blame, i find it unbelievable that any so called "responsible adult" would drive their child around in a vehicle when they are not qualified to do so, we all know this is a loophole, and just because it is "legal-ish for the momment" it does not make it right.
You have all got away with it for far too long and now the time is up, either sit and pass your test or take the bus.
the more Unqualified divers there is there will be more accidents,deaths,injuries and in turn leads to higher insurance premiums for everyone.
I wonder how many deaths,injuries,accidents or cars written off there was last year which was at fault to a Repeat learner driver? i'm not talking about all learners just the ones that have been abusing the system for years.
anyway, good luck to you all!

so all of those comments are basically saying:

"The Irish government is a complete joke!! The reason why there is such a huge backlog of tests is because the more people the test centres fail, the more money they get because people have to re apply. If there is 1 thing you all should learn about the irish government is.... ALL THEY SEE IS MONEY AND THEY DONT CARE HOW THEY GET IT!!
greedy bastards!! They should all be sacked and the people of ireland should appoint there own government!! I thought this was a democracy!!! obviously not! were being screwed over big time and theres nothing we can do about it!!

Sean...there is something you can do that most of us in this forum have done and that is to leave. Get out. Move to a place where you think you will have a better life and not get "screwed over big time". That is if you haven't done the insane thing of digging yourself the monster hole of a 350,000 euro home loan.

I'm a learner driver and i have to drive 2 hours to work every day and i cannot get a qualified driver to sit on with me.
what am i meant to do.
am i suppose to give up my job and go on the dole, for I'll have no other choice and probably will have to sell my car, as my car will not be any use to me now at the end of June. I'll have to get a bicycle now to get around.
what about all the road death over the past week, if the learner driver had a been on the road that would have slow things down and there would not have been as many.
over the past week there has been a number of road death have they all been caused by learner drivers for there was a six day blitz so there would have very little people on the road with provisional license.

Its really shoking..............we are going to lose our job.The government must make necessary steps to increase the number of test and reduce the waiting time for the same.After makiing necessary steps government can implement new rule.8 months time given was not sufficient.I didnt get a date before 30th june

I am so worry about the new rules of driving which will activate from 30th of July. Still I dint get any date for the full driving licence test. A lots people like me are suffering because of that. If i cant drive I cant go to my job, what will be my situation, I dont know. I think goverment will be kind to think about us.

I just arrived in Ireland having driven for a year in my home country and now i am stranded.
1>How many times i turn my neck to observe is too theoretical a way to have driving test. A judgement should be made about road sense and attitude which is a bit subjective. I have failed twice by 1 point.
2>A graduating system. My skills are way above learner and according to Irish system a bit below Full driver. So i should atleast have a intermediate freedom eg: i can drive alone on non National and Motorways
3>How can a full driver with seat belt on and no dual control help in split seconds even if he is sitting next to you as required by law ????

COMMON SENSE is solution.

i think the law is so senseless
i live in donegal.
when there was the 6 day blizts look how many accidents where on the roads and how many died.
at least when the learner driver are on the roads,
there will be less accidents.
for the people with their full license will have to stay back and be more cautious to whats in front of them.

but there again most of the old folks on the road did not even have to do a driving test. they got there license out over the counter.

what rule would apply to them.
i thick that they all should have to sit a test like the rest of us.
does any one else think that or is it only me.
for i fell it's unfair.
that most of the driver are unfit even to be on the road
t

I started to live in Dublin 4 months ago. I had 9 years old full home country driving license (More than 100.000 km driving experience) which is valid for one year. I have also 3 months old learner permit. I applied driving test and got appointment in 3 months but they say you have to wait 6 months before having driving test with a rule declared on 1 december 2007. For non-eu citizens(who has full license already), it is not fair to apply this rule. it means 6 + 3 months = 9 months waiting time to have driving test. My home country license is still valid but my insurance is based on learner permit. I never act against to rules but this time I think I have to in order to commute work and shop :(