The driving test is undoubtedly one of the most daunting experiences in a young person’s life, bested only by the harrowing prospect of having to sit your Leaving Cert.
For many, it’s the final step becoming your own person and relying on yourself and the responsibilities that follow.
My diving journey began three years ago, in the summer of 2020, when my Dad would begin to teach me, as we drove around our local industrial estate, in my Mam’s Volkswagen Golf. I had always had a keen interest in cars when I was younger, and now that I was sixteen, at the time, it felt only right to get onto the roads as soon as possible. Passing the theory test was the first step, and I had it booked for October 2020. However, my first experience with the RSA and delays occurred, as Covid-19 pushed my test date to the summer of 2021. By the time I went to sit the theory test, that summer, I had neglected study of the relevant material that I ended up failing, no surprises there.
I would eventually pass the theory test in April 2022, with the hope that I would complete my lessons during the summer and that I would be legally driving by at least Christmas, if not before. I completed my lessons, as I’d hoped, that summer and jumped on the waiting list to sit the big one. To my dismay, I was informed that I wouldn’t be able to take the test until at least the summer of 2023, two whole years since my theory test had initially been delayed! My Dad eventually discovered a loophole and changed my test center, bringing me up the list. Amazingly, this led to me sitting the test in March 2023. I failed. Three months go by and I try again. Another fail. Two months pass and I think third time’s the charm. The only charm however, was the fact that I failed once again. I have now finally, just recently however, passed my driving test, three years after I, initially, applied to be placed on the waiting list for the theory test. For context, American teenagers are able to obtain their license once they hit fifteen. I’m twenty now, and the thought of living through my twenties, being unable to drive, due to these long waiting times, as well as the criteria for passing the test itself, was a frightening one.
I am not alone, however, in this regard, as this is a frustration felt by most individuals in this country looking to make their lives just that little bit easier. Currently, as of October 2023, 71,554 individuals are awaiting their test date, up 61% from the previous year, as Deputy Carol Nolan informed the Dail, last month. Several questions come to mind, with this knowledge. One must wonder, are these long wait times due to a lack of qualified instructors or test centers? Perhaps it’s the criteria, in the test itself, that has many both failing and looking to re-sit, in the process. On top of this, how damaging has something like the Covid-19 pandemic been to resulting in countless test dates being pushed back to confer with relevant lockdown guidelines? Like the current housing and climate crisis’ boggling Ireland today, this is an issue that needs urgent attention with significant solutions to dealing with so many applicants. So, why the long wait?
The Instructors, themselves
As of February 2023, 2,236 driving instructors are capable of providing a driving test to a learner driver. Even so, when we take our previous figure of driving test applicants waiting in the balance, into account, of 71,554, this means that there are less than a third of instructors for every one learner driver.
According to figures from the Indeed website, driving instructors can look to earn an average hourly wage of €24.91. When rounded up to €25, this works out to an annual average salary of €50,700, give or take.
The average mortgage for a private household being €135,574, based on data and projections of current mortgage holders from the Central Bank of Ireland, in October 2023. A salary of €50,700 means that you will be able to take out a mortgage of around €202,800. With this is mind, the idea that the lack of driving instructors is down to a case of a poor wage and an inability to provide for oneself is incorrect. There is a greater force at play here.
Criteria for Passing
The Irish driving test, itself, assesses an individual’s ability to perceive risks and act accordingly, their awareness of hazards, their knowledge and application of good driver behavior and an ability to safely and competently drive a vehicle under a variety of road and traffic conditions, as well as an understanding of basic driver theory. While some may view this as a fair assessment, there are others that feel it can be quite harsh on the participant, seeing these failed attempts as a means for the RSA to earn more money from the applicant, through the booking of additional tests, considering the test itself costs €85.
The Irish Times noted, in August 2023, how almost half of applicants fail on their first try. The grading system of the test is divided into marking faults into columns of Grade 1, 2 and 3. A total of eight faults, shared between Grades 1 and 2 is a fail, while receiving any fault under a Grade 3, is an automatic fail.
Applicants have failed sometimes look to complain to the RSA, regarding their instructor’s behaviour, during the test, with claims that what they were failed on was as a result of supposed ‘nitpicking’ or ‘grumpiness’ displayed by their tester. Furthermore, rumours have circulated, on a consistent basis, that instructors have a ‘fail’ quota that they must adhere to daily, and are, therefore, required to fail a certain number of applicants, regardless of their ability to confidently drive, although this has never been confirmed by the RSA, nor proven by any one individual or organization.
Covid-19
As cliché as it sounds, the Covid-19 pandemic has of course impacted these long waiting times for the driving test, with NCT Operator, Mark Synott describing how the waiting list, in its current form is “-almost double what it was in pre-Covid times”.
As everyone knows by now, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of education and business as people were urged to stay at home to prevent spread of the virus. Naturally, this meant that driving test applications would, of course, face a delay.
By the time, most restrictions were lifted, in early 2022, driving instructors and test centres, alike, not only had to deal with an influx of people ready to sit their driving test, having completed their mandatory lessons under Covid-19 circumstances, but an additional backlog of applicants who had their test dates consistently pushed back to comply with the restrictions in place throughout the two year pandemic.
As such, it is going to take a considerable amount of time for the RSA to steadily bring the driving test waiting list down to a level where it once was, before Covid. They may never reach this goal; however, as we must take into account the fact that there will always be a consistent number of new applicants ready to take their test, with each passing day, week, month and year, down the line, along with those still waiting because of Covid and those who are re-sitting who, bear in mind, are given top priority on this waiting list.
Ultimately, we may never be fully able to solve the arduous and tedious queue. Some learner drivers are now deciding to take the risk of driving, unaccompanied, possessing just their learner’s permit. Others feel that the driving test, itself, should be scrapped, not only due to the wait, but because of the stress and anxiety it places on the individual to perform well on the day, under test circumstances and instead have the driving instructor sign off on the learner after the twelve lessons have been completed, if they feel they are capable of driving confidently by themselves. Whatever the case and the solutions that people have offered, the solution of cutting down the waiting times for the countless learner drivers across this country, is a long way away from being achieved.
