The failure rate amongst provisional drivers resitting their test remains at 43.9 per cent, according to a report released by the Department of Environment last night. David Labanyi reports
The report shows that while just over half (51.5 per cent) of drivers pass first time, only 56 per cent of those taking their second and subsequent test pass.
The Irish Bulletin of Vehicle and Driver Statistics (2005) also notes that males have a slightly higher pass rate at 55 per cent, compared with female drivers, of whom 52 per cent pass.
It shows that the number of provisional drivers on Irish roads increased last year by 24,260 last year to 404,607. This means that 17 per cent of all Irish motorists are learner drivers.
However, this remains significantly less than the 497,002 drivers on provisional licences in 2000, at which point they accounted for 25 per cent of all drivers.
Last year there were 137,500 driving tests, compared with 162,696 five years ago. The annual rate of applications for a driving test is approximately 170,000.
In 2005 the Minister for Transport Martin Cullen introduced a series of measures to try and reduce the waiting for a driving test, which stands at over 12 months in come centres.
This included the establishment of a bonus payment scheme for driver testers who provide tests at weekends and evenings, and the outsourcing of 45,000 tests to the private company, SGS, which operates the National Car Test.
The Department of the Environment report shows that the pass rate among motorists taking the driving test has also fallen over the five years to 2005, from 57 per cent, to the current 54 per cent.
Passing the test also becomes more difficult as a motorist gets older. Drivers under the age of 21 have a 56.6 per cent pass rate and those between 22 and 25 have a 58.8 per cent pass rate.
However, the pass rate for drivers over the age of 26 falls to 50 per cent. Unsurprisingly this was also the largest group sitting their test, with 36,546 applicants from this age group.
The total number of licensed vehicles increased by 5 per cent to 2,138,700 last year. While the number of new vehicles licensed increased by 12 per cent to 219,300, vehicles imported into the State showed a 55 per cent rise to 61,300.
A sign of the decline of the agricultural sector can be seen from the number of tractors licensed. In 1995, 77,925 tractors were taxed, but this fell to 73,806 in 2000 and fell again to just 66,669 in 2005. This is its lowest level for 20 years.
Over the period between 1995 and 2005 the number of motorcycles has steadily increased. Ten years ago 23,400 motorcycles were registered for tax. By December of last year this had risen by almost 10,000 to 34,300.
The Department of Environment report also identifies a reluctance among motorists to embrace new fuels. Only 0.04 per cent of all vehicles, just 898, used liquid petroleum gas or other types of fuel last year.
Just under 70 per cent of vehicles used petrol while the remainder (30 per cent) were run on diesel. According to the report 65 per cent of private cars are four years old and 39 per cent are six years old or more.
Also examined by the report was the number of vehicles tested in the NCT. The number of vehicles tested last year was 624,619, up slightly from the 614,227 tested in 2004.
Just over 306,800 vehicles (or 49.1 per cent) passed initially and 44.9 per cent passed after a retest. Six per cent of vehicles failed.
The report also contains some quirky pieces of information. There are still, apparently, 22 Ladas taxed and on the road. They join 17 Kubotas and three Reliants.
ON THE ROAD: vital statistics
• Number of licensed vehicles on our roads rose by 5 per cent last year to 2,138,680
• The number of private cars increased was also up 5 per cent to 1,662,200, compared to 2004. Between 1995 and 2005, the number of private cars has risen by 68 per cent
• 624,600 car tests were carried out by NCTS in 2005. An overall pass rate of 94 per cent resulted: 44.9 per cent being passed after defects discovered on the initial test had been rectified
• There were 2.35 million valid driving licences by the end of 2005, of which 404,600 were provisional licences
• Driving tests conducted in 2005 totalled 137,500. An overall pass rate of 54 per cent (73,700) was achieved, while in the case of repeat tests a pass rate of 56 per cent was achieved