Ireland's driver testing requirements don't compare well to any other jurisdictions, says Patrick Logue
It is still possible for an Irish 17-year-old to fill out a form, do a simple theory test on a computer and after a short time get into a car and drive to anywhere in the state, inexperienced, unsupervised, and unchecked.
It will take the same 17-year-old about a year before he can sit a test, a test he can take having received absolutely no professional instruction in the skill of driving. He may also drive on a provisional licence for up to two years before being forced to apply for a test.
For sure, the immediate priority is to eradicate the 400,000 or so provisional drivers from the ridiculous waiting list, but the system itself may need to be completely overhauled.
Other countries are decades ahead and so we can learn from their successes. No doubt the Minister for Transport was asking for advice when he met European transport ministers in Dublin last week.
In the Netherlands, for example, all drivers must attend driver training centres before they can sit a test. Driver training is optional in Ireland, meaning those who sit the test have a varied range of skills depending on how they learned. The stipulation of professional instruction is not uncommon in other countries. In Germany, learner drivers must undergo 10 hours instruction in a classroom in driving theory and 10 hours instruction in an approved driving school.
Instruction in night-time and motorway driving is also a common feature in driver training in other countries including, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Luxembourg.
Des Cummins of the Driving Instructor Register of Ireland (DIR) believes the Irish system of driver education and licensing needs to be revamped.
"We can fail a test and get back into a car and go home. There is nothing to stop this, so people will do it. I know of people on provisional licences who have knocked people down and have gotten away with it," says Cummins. "The gardaí don't have the manpower to stop every learner, and what about those who don't have an L plate?"
The DIR, which is funded by the Government, is the closest Ireland has to a regulated system for instructors. Membership of it is, however, voluntary and so there are no standards set down that instructors must adhere to.
"Anybody can get a set of dual controls and get a roofsign and off they go," adds Cummins. "We also need a comprehensive driving manual. Look at the Rules of the Road - there is virtually nothing in it about motorway driving."
In Sweden - the shining light in road safety - drivers on a provisional licence must be supervised by what is considered a competent driver.
Unlike Ireland, where a full-licence holder can supervise a learner, the Swedes have set down other criteria to ensure the learner is properly supervised and taught. The person must be at least 24-years-old, and have held a driving licence for at least five consecutive years. They must also be approved as an instructor for the learner driver.
Italy goes one step further and stipulates that supervisors must have held a licence for 10 years, while in Spain private instruction is completely banned and learners must be accompanied by a state driving instructor.
But where the Irish system falls down most is in relation to the lack of restrictions placed on novice drivers. Our provisional licence holders are not allowed to drive on motorways and must have an experienced driver on board. It is unlikely that all 400,000 provisional drivers in this country are sticking to these rules. In fact it is probable most of them are ignoring them.
Abroad there are wide-ranging restrictions on learner and newly qualified drivers in what is called a graduated system of licensing. Holders of first-time licences in France must display a special plate for the first year and are limited to driving at 90km/h or less. In Northern Ireland, newly-qualified drivers must display R plates for one year, are limited to 75km/h and are not allowed on motorways.
In Germany, drivers are given a provisional licence when they pass the driving test. This is issued for two years, but if the driver has an accident within this period the test must be retaken. If any driver, regardless of age or experience, clocks up enough penalty points in Germany they are ordered under law to attend a driving and attitude training course.
New Zealand operates one of the more stringent graduated systems. It includes a ban on driving between the hours of 10pm and 5am without supervision, a ban on carrying passengers without supervision, R plates and a zero blood-alcohol level. Driving is restricted for 18 months, or half of that if an approved driving course is taken.
This graduated system is favoured by Cullen and he gave his first hint last week that such a system will be introduced here, starting with a zero alcohol limit for young drivers.
But as road deaths continue to climb (159 at the time of writing) it must take its place behind such long overdue ideas such as speed cameras, a mobile phone ban and the small matter of the driving test waiting list.
TESTING STANDARDS: THE BEST OF THE REST
SWEDEN: drivers on a provisional licence must be supervised
ITALY: instructors must have held a licence for 10 years
SPAIN: private instruction completely banned
FRANCE: first-time drivers limited to 90km/h
NORTHERN IRELAND: Newly-qualified drivers must display an R sign and limited to 75km/h
GERMANY: provisional issued when test passed but if in an accident during first two years then test must be retaken
NEW ZEALAND: learners banned from driving between 10pm and 5am