Provisional Licence D-Day

Yeah but it was very common for people to get to the 3rd license and not have done a driving test. There was never any real need to rush was there ? Insurance being the only factor. I had a 1st provisional and never really used it to drive! Couple of years later I got the 2nd provisional but was out of the country when it came for my test date. Eventually I had to re order the test then apply for a 3rd provisional. I was a further 8 months waiting on a test.

I assume I was passed over to the SGS crowd when they started to clear the backlog as I was down as a 3rd provisional licence holder.

I'd never failed a test yet was 8 months into my 3rd provisional.

Of course those on the 4th 5th etc would have had to do a test but not the ones on a 3rd.

Having said that the pass rate does seem very high in certain places and I wouldn't be surprised if they were told to clear the backlog 'wink' 'wink'

I have to say the Driving license setup in Ireland is a disaster. I keep hearing about people failing 2 or 3 times. Can people not see that they are just doing you for more money? My auntie got her driving license given to her in the 80's because the list was so long. To be honest I do have worries when I get in the car with her.

I done my driving license here in Austria the system here is great but maybe expensive.

1. You register with a driving school.
2. You have to do a 2 week course 3 1/2 Hours Mon - Fri
3. Within these 2 weeks you have your driving lessons Min 15 Hours Driving
4. After the 2 week course you can sit the computer test.
5. A week after that you do the driving test; 99.9% pass
6. You get a paper saying you passed and you can drive that minute away.
7. A week later your License comes
8. Within a year you have to do 2 times an hour with the instructor and a day at a track where you practice breaking on wet surfaces and fake ice surfaces. You also have to talk to a psychologist for an hour.
9. Then you are on a 2 year probation. e.g. Your alcohol intake must be low, no accidents, speeding etc. Or you have to go back and do the re schooling.
10. You don't have to renew the licence either

That cost me in total €1400 all in Lesson's, License, Taxes, The Extra Courses

It sounds a lot but you are out driving within 3 weeks.

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Originally Posted by joe_barry80

I have to say the Driving license setup in Ireland is a disaster. I keep hearing about people failing 2 or 3 times. Can people not see that they are just doing you for more money? My auntie got her driving license given to her in the 80's because the list was so long. To be honest I do have worries when I get in the car with her.

I done my driving license here in Austria the system here is great but maybe expensive.

1. You register with a driving school.
2. You have to do a 2 week course 3 1/2 Hours Mon - Fri
3. Within these 2 weeks you have your driving lessons Min 15 Hours Driving
4. After the 2 week course you can sit the computer test.
5. A week after that you do the driving test; 99.9% pass
6. You get a paper saying you passed and you can drive that minute away.
7. A week later your License comes
8. Within a year you have to do 2 times an hour with the instructor and a day at a track where you practice breaking on wet surfaces and fake ice surfaces. You also have to talk to a psychologist for an hour.
9. Then you are on a 2 year probation. e.g. Your alcohol intake must be low, no accidents, speeding etc. Or you have to go back and do the re schooling.
10. You don't have to renew the licence either

That cost me in total €1400 all in Lesson's, License, Taxes, The Extra Courses

It sounds a lot but you are out driving within 3 weeks.

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You can pay up to 50euro for a lesson here and some people need to get 20 or 30 lessons and still fail, so 1400 to get it right in 3 weeks sounds much better.


The problem on Irish roads is they teach people how to drive at 30 mph around a city then when they can just about do that your alloud to drive at 60 on country roads or 70 on motorways and they wonder why the road deaths are so high.

How long have the government been talking about regulation of driving instructors? Aside from the obvious flaws of a system that allowed you to fail a test & drive home it is ludicrous that anyone can set themselves up as a driving instructor with a roof sign. Seriously, how hard is for the Minister & department to come up with a regulatory system - they have one for almost everything else you can think of.

only country in world that you can fail your driving test for major errors and still drive home from test centre:confused:

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Originally Posted by anto1208

You can pay up to 50euro for a lesson here and some people need to get 20 or 30 lessons and still fail, so 1400 to get it right in 3 weeks sounds much better.


The problem on Irish roads is they teach people how to drive at 30 mph around a city then when they can just about do that your alloud to drive at 60 on country roads or 70 on motorways and they wonder why the road deaths are so high.

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20 or 30? :eek: who are these people and where should i avoid?

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Originally Posted by pete

How long have the government been talking about regulation of driving instructors? Aside from the obvious flaws of a system that allowed you to fail a test & drive home it is ludicrous that anyone can set themselves up as a driving instructor with a roof sign. Seriously, how hard is for the Minister & department to come up with a regulatory system - they have one for almost everything else you can think of.

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Why do driving instructors need to be particulaly regulated ?. Who pays for this regulation ?, do we need to hire more public servents to check driving instructor standards - you have got to be joking

This is driving a bloody car. 95% of it is common sense/experience after you have mastered the basics of changing gear/signal/brake etc.

If people need 30-40 lessons from a driving instructor to pass a test
a. They are too stupid to realise that driving instructor is ****
b. They are too stupid to realise they are a **** driver and maybe they shouldnt be driving at all.

Note: I speak as somebody who passed UK test first time ,who never took a lesson but drove occasionally but always accompanyied for almost 2 years so I had the necessary confidence.

Nobody has a right to drive iresspective of whether they live in the city centre or out in the middle of nowhere.

Anybody who has been driving on their own for years and still failed their test perhaps shouldnt be on the road.

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

Why do driving instructors need to be particulaly regulated?. Who pays for this regulation?.

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Usually the regulated pay for the regulation. Instructors should have to pass a test to ensure they are training people correctly. Correctly trained drivers is the benefit of everyone.

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Originally Posted by pete

Usually the regulated pay for the regulation. Instructors should have to pass a test to ensure they are training people correctly. Correctly trained drivers is the benefit of everyone.

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So the private sector will pay for the public sector to regulate them

If instructors are not training people correctly then they will be failing tests - if people are failing tests because of an instructor, word will quickly spread and he will be out of business.

Correctly trained drivers are a benefit to everyone but you dont need an instructor, nor a registered instructor teaching you to be a good driver.

I have no objection to the testers being regulated/checked but regulating driver instructors sound like 'lets make up a job' - it doesnt need it and there are more needy regulating bodies of public money eg Nursing homes

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

So the private sector will pay for the public sector to regulate them

If instructors are not training people correctly then they will be failing tests - if people are failing tests because of an instructor, word will quickly spread and he will be out of business.

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I have a similar line of thought on doctors. Screw this medical qualification BS - it's costing the state stupid money.

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Originally Posted by John83

I have a similar line of thought on doctors. Screw this medical qualification BS - it's costing the state stupid money.

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Fail to see the link between doctors training and driving instructor regulation ?

Whats the worst that can happen wrt having a **** driving instructor - you fail your test - the world is hardly going to stop spinning

Do what everybody else does in this county - Phone Joe Duffy and blame the **** instructor and not the fact that you are a **** driver and were too stupid to know that it was a **** instructor teaching you.

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

Fail to see the link between doctors training and driving instructor regulation ?

Whats the worst that can happen wrt having a **** driving instructor - you fail your test - the world is hardly going to stop spinning

Do what everybody else does in this county - Phone Joe Duffy and blame the **** instructor and not the fact that you are a **** driver and were too stupid to know that it was a **** instructor teaching you.

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**** drivers kill people too.

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

Whats the worst that can happen wrt having a **** driving instructor - you fail your test - the world is hardly going to stop spinning

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Thats if you assume that the driving tests will fail everybody who is a crap driver - which we all know isn't true. There are plenty of people who can't drive well at all who have licences.

So, with that in mind, the worst thing that can happen with having a ***** driving instructor is that you kill somebody on the road, and the world certainly stops spinning for them.

Are people seriously comparing regulating Doctors with regulating driving instructors?
:rolleyes:
No need to regulate instructors.

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Originally Posted by John83

**** drivers kill people too.

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Agreed, so pass your test/exam overseen by a regulated tester.

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Originally Posted by osarusan

Thats if you assume that the driving tests will fail everybody who is a crap driver - which we all know isn't true. There are plenty of people who can't drive well at all who have licences..

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Then that is the fault of the tester who is supposed to be regulated - they should of been failed. So do we enforce the present regulations on the tester or do we bring in new ones on instructors. It it my understanding that alot of old people got issued licences without any tests is this what you mean by people who cant drive ?

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Originally Posted by osarusan

So, with that in mind, the worst thing that can happen with having a ***** driving instructor is that you kill somebody on the road, and the world certainly stops spinning for them.

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A **** driving instructor means you fail the test - you shouldnt be in a car on your own to kill anyone.

I will repeat myself - this is driving a car ,- we are not talking about piloting the space shuttle.

The governement has better things to do with its time and money than regulate who gives driving lessons.

If the present laws were enforced rather then new headline grabbing laws brought in it might make for more sanity on the roads.

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

Then that is the fault of the tester who is supposed to be regulated

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Agreed, but is it not also the fault of the instructor for teaching the faulty driving technique (or not eliminating it over the space of a few lessons)?

Why say that one should be held accountable, but not the other?

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Originally Posted by Newryrep

I will repeat myself - this is driving a car ,- we are not talking about piloting the space shuttle.

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Absolutely, drivers of cars kill countless times the people that pilots of space shuttles do. It's far more important to make every effort to reduce the chances of accidents happening.

If instructors were properly trained then maybe we would not have so many people failing the tests?

To quote a former work colleague "guy at former office gave me some lessons around the car park, when I went on the road I did not understand why the car was slow going up the hill (i.e. did not know about gears)..." :eek:

Lessons should be mandatory & if doing that needed to have trained instructors. Cars kill people!

Doctors are very unlikely to kill people as they are already sick when they see them. Sure look at that guy who the Catch Me is You Can movie was based on - he impersonated a doctor for years.

If they didnt know about gears they wouldnt pass the test.

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Originally Posted by pete

Doctors are very unlikely to kill people as they are already sick when they see them. Sure look at that guy who the Catch Me is You Can movie was based on - he impersonated a doctor for years.

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Truth be told, I think he mainly impersonated an administrator in a hospital. If he'd been actually practicing medicine, he'd have killed people left, right and centre.

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

If they didnt know about gears they wouldnt pass the test.

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True but proves people should not be allowed near the road without some validation of basic knowledge. Theory test does not count.

He passed at second attempt surprisingly. Kind of triggered this thread. ;)

Anyone hear the woman on Newstalk this morning who protested that you didn't need to be able to reverse a car to drive properly?

Pure comedy gold.

Interestingly, it was confirmed that people who drive unsupervised on a provisional license will still be covered by their insurance. I find this strange.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Anyone hear the woman on Newstalk this morning who protested that you didn't need to be able to reverse a car to drive properly?

Pure comedy gold.

Interestingly, it was confirmed that people who drive unsupervised on a provisional license will still be covered by their insurance. I find this strange.

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can you be insured to perform an illegal activity? crazy if you can.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

Anyone hear the woman on Newstalk this morning who protested that you didn't need to be able to reverse a car to drive properly?

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Did not hear that but caught the tail end of some guy saying he would have to drive illegally as had no other option to get to college. Had been only driving 7 months so only not allowed to sit test.

I expect more moaning & hard luck stories to emerge this week. Tough liuck as there has been enough notice of this & days of buying car before getting full licence are gone now & people need to look at passing test between 17-20 years old.

If you look at the numbers of people on provisionals that was in the media last week it shows a huge drop from 2nd to 3rd. It should now be possible to easily get 2 tests within a 6 month period.

Passed my test this morning on second attempt, thank f#ck!! :)

Poor girl that went out before me to do the test never even got to start the car, I think something must have been up with the car and they would not let her sit the test, she was nearly in tears.

I had a friend who did the test last week and he failed. He rang me today and is gutted. He's afraid to drive. I said to him that when he passes he will have to display 'R' plates, denoting restricted driver. But he thinks not.

Any clear this up?

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

I had a friend who did the test last week and he failed. He rang me today and is gutted. He's afraid to drive. I said to him that when he passes he will have to display 'R' plates, denoting restricted driver. But he thinks not.
Any clear this up?

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I believe that is only in NI. R plates do not exist here.

There are number of issues that will ensure failure before even sitting in the car. I know of a guy whose passenger door could not be opened from the inside so tester did not discover it until the end of the test. I believe passenger door opening from the inside is an actual specific requirement in the notification letter.

Even though there seems to have been more around recently it seems that most people don't display L plate as with 300k+ provisional licence holders they seem far too rare. The numbers will probably drop even more now otherwise people driving on their own would stand out too much.

I would say I have seen more people with L plates now than ever before. I think whatever about being caught with no driver in car with you; no L plates is a deffo red card offence as it implies you are deliberatly trying to evade the law. I think you will see some initial leniancy towards people with L plates but no fully licenced driver. You wont get the same for the provisionals with no L plates. I feel sorry for anyone who still needs it as the system is ridiculous.

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

I had a friend who did the test last week and he failed. He rang me today and is gutted. He's afraid to drive. I said to him that when he passes he will have to display 'R' plates, denoting restricted driver. But he thinks not.

Any clear this up?

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And rightly so, as he isn't permitted to drive unaccompanied.

I'm still amazed at how many people think driving is a right rather than a privilege.

While I agree with him being off the road. I think individual practice is the key to any learning experience. I suspect that if you had someone beside you all the time when you were driving that it would be become a sort of crutch.

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Originally Posted by DeNiro

While I agree with him being off the road. I think individual practice is the key to any learning experience. I suspect that if you had someone beside you all the time when you were driving that it would be become a sort of crutch.

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I learned to drive in the North. I had someone beside me up and until I passed my test. Its the way the rest of the world does it.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

I'm still amazed at how many people think driving is a right rather than a privilege.

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are you serious?
People who havent passed the test in the republic should not be allowed drive here unless accompanied by someone who has passed the test here.

With there still existing week waiting period after an application and over 1 in 3 people still failing, they should've left it go longer until the waiting period is down further. As it stands it looks like the only way to be optimistic about it is say perhaps they're making things worse so there'll be less resistence to radically making it better.

I'm off the road anyway, here's hoping the turtles in micls' house survive while she's away as I won't be up to feed them. Blood on your hands, minister :mad: :D

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

are you serious?
People who havent passed the test in the republic should not be allowed drive here unless accompanied by someone who has passed the test here.

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:confused: You've lost me...

I'm just reading this thread for the 1st time and I'm gobsmacked. Any driver of any age or 'miles' under their belt should NEVER be allowed to drive without a qualified driver unless they have passed a test. I don't give a damn about where you have to go or no alternatives available etc.
I use the road every day and often carry the kids with me. What right has an unqualified driver to put our safety in jeopardy? How dare any such person try and justify it.
Everybody has to start somewhere in learning to drive but do it with the minimum possibility of harming themselves or others. Check the death toll on our roads from now until this day next week and them let me have your reasoned argument.

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Originally Posted by oldyouth

I'm just reading this thread for the 1st time and I'm gobsmacked. Any driver of any age or 'miles' under their belt should NEVER be allowed to drive without a qualified driver unless they have passed a test. I don't give a damn about where you have to go or no alternatives available etc.
I use the road every day and often carry the kids with me. What right has an unqualified driver to put our safety in jeopardy? How dare any such person try and justify it.
Everybody has to start somewhere in learning to drive but do it with the minimum possibility of harming themselves or others. Check the death toll on our roads from now until this day next week and them let me have your reasoned argument.

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I'm not disputing that drivers need to have some sort of qualification behind them before they go driving but the system at the moment is pathetic compared to other countries. The idea that someone driving in a certain manner for 35 minutes makes them a safe, responsible driver is ridiculous. A proper education in road manners, the law, good habits and on the consequences of bad driving are whats needed. I have driven quite a bit as a provisional driver and all you need to do is travel on a dual carriageway at the legal speed limit and watch who's going past you. It isn't learner drivers, its full licensed drivers in beemers and mercs. You only need to watch the guy who thinks its alright to sneak past the first few seconds of the red light. Show me the truck driver who's parked across a cross hatched junction. I can't find the statistics on fatal car crashes involving learner drivers, whether they're higher or lower but making some assumption that requiring they have a second (practically useless for most people) driver in the car will make no real difference to the statistics. The death toll on our roads may be high but it has been consistently dropping; it isn't because we're all magically better drivers, its because people's attitudes have been changed, and if anything that is more prevalent in younger drivers than habit-bound older people.

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Originally Posted by OneRedArmy

:confused: You've lost me...

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merely pointing out that stupid ill thought out laws are not that great when they effect you.

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

I'm not disputing that drivers need to have some sort of qualification behind them before they go driving but the system at the moment is pathetic compared to other countries. The idea that someone driving in a certain manner for 35 minutes makes them a safe, responsible driver is ridiculous. A proper education in road manners, the law, good habits and on the consequences of bad driving are whats needed. I have driven quite a bit as a provisional driver and all you need to do is travel on a dual carriageway at the legal speed limit and watch who's going past you. It isn't learner drivers, its full licensed drivers in beemers and mercs. You only need to watch the guy who thinks its alright to sneak past the first few seconds of the red light. Show me the truck driver who's parked across a cross hatched junction. I can't find the statistics on fatal car crashes involving learner drivers, whether they're higher or lower but making some assumption that requiring they have a second (practically useless for most people) driver in the car will make no real difference to the statistics. The death toll on our roads may be high but it has been consistently dropping; it isn't because we're all magically better drivers, its because people's attitudes have been changed, and if anything that is more prevalent in younger drivers than habit-bound older people.

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exactly. majority of bad drivers are not learners. having someone in the car with you is of absolutely no benefit unless you are actually driving for the first time. some people on provisionals have been driving a couple of years or more. what benefit will having someone in the car do them? how will that stop them crashing?

Saw Questions & Answers tonight & girl in the audience complaining about the new law. Apparently she "worked in the film industry" & worked unusual hours & repeated several times "who is going to drive me to work". John Bowman asked if she could not get a taxi. She replied asking if "she looked like she could afford a taxi" when clearly she did. :D

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Originally Posted by GavinZac

I'm not disputing that drivers need to have some sort of qualification behind them before they go driving but the system at the moment is pathetic compared to other countries. The idea that someone driving in a certain manner for 35 minutes makes them a safe, responsible driver is ridiculous. A proper education in road manners, the law, good habits and on the consequences of bad driving are whats needed. I have driven quite a bit as a provisional driver and all you need to do is travel on a dual carriageway at the legal speed limit and watch who's going past you. It isn't learner drivers, its full licensed drivers in beemers and mercs. You only need to watch the guy who thinks its alright to sneak past the first few seconds of the red light. Show me the truck driver who's parked across a cross hatched junction. I can't find the statistics on fatal car crashes involving learner drivers, whether they're higher or lower but making some assumption that requiring they have a second (practically useless for most people) driver in the car will make no real difference to the statistics. The death toll on our roads may be high but it has been consistently dropping; it isn't because we're all magically better drivers, its because people's attitudes have been changed, and if anything that is more prevalent in younger drivers than habit-bound older people.

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There are some pretty sh*te drivers out there alright and if,as you say, you are a better diver than them then you'll have no problem passing the test. Under the old system, those drivers of 'beemers and mercs' could easily have provisional licences........
And, as a chap in his 40's, I will happily acknowledge that the majority of younger drivers today are more responsible with cars than we were. The problem nowadays however, are that there are twice as many cars on the road and today's younger generation can afford more powerful cars than we could.
Bottom line is, without enforcing stricter access to our roads, you cannot distinguish the good learner driver from the one that should never be let near a road.

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

merely pointing out that stupid ill thought out laws are not that great when they effect you.


exactly. majority of bad drivers are not learners. having someone in the car with you is of absolutely no benefit unless you are actually driving for the first time. some people on provisionals have been driving a couple of years or more. what benefit will having someone in the car do them? how will that stop them crashing?

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Firstly, someone who has been driving for a couple of years should have passed their test. If you have failed, what does that say other than you are not ready to drive independantly.
Secondly, a qualified driver with you can impart advice, guidance and experience. That was a silly point

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Originally Posted by Billsthoughts

merely pointing out that stupid ill thought out laws are not that great when they effect you.


exactly. majority of bad drivers are not learners. having someone in the car with you is of absolutely no benefit unless you are actually driving for the first time. some people on provisionals have been driving a couple of years or more. what benefit will having someone in the car do them? how will that stop them crashing?

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Then the only option is moving to a situation whereby learners can only drive either on private property or with a registered driving instruction in the car.

The current law is certain less stupid and ill thought on that the previous one.