Learner drivers complain of being told to increase speed by testers

One driver reported making a wrong turn because they had the windows down and misheard instructions, part of covid-19 safety policies. File Picture.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is receiving more than 180 complaints a month about driving tests, including gripes from drivers who were told they were “over-cautious” on the road.

The RSA said there had been 2,205 complaints in 12 months, with a particularly high number in August, when 297 were logged by the authority.

One driver claimed they were the victim of “partial and very racist” treatment by a tester and that they had been pre-judged because of their ethnicity.

The person wrote: “Considering the amount of time and money spent in the process, we expect fair conduct and not being pushed to move fast or quickly because the tester was in a hurry to complete the test.” 

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One unfortunate driver suffered a puncture on their way to their test and changed to their spare tyre en route.

However, they were told by an examiner that the test could not go ahead, with the spare having a maximum speed of only 80kph.

The driver wrote: “The car is roadworthy and the tyre is legal. 

I have now had to reapply for another test costing €85, which I think is very unfair.” 

Another was told their car was unsafe with “worn and smooth” tyres, even though the same vehicle had passed the NCT exam just two weeks previously.

An email said: “Apart from [the examiner] not doing the test, they were extremely rude, and I did not deserve to be treated in such a manner.

“I waited two and a half months for this test and took on extra lessons. I had a lesson an hour before my test and my instructor did a safety check on my car and said everything was perfectly fine.” 

One driver said they had been marked down because they were being too “cautious” on the road.

They had also made a wrong turn because they had the windows down and misheard instructions, part of covid-19 safety policies.

The driver said: “I don’t mean to be rude or anything of that sort but I do feel like there were three or four marks given that are unfair and just marked way too harshly. I do hope that I can be helped or retested if possible.” 

The driver was not the only one who was told they had been “over-cautious”, with one candidate saying they had been driving very carefully because the weather was so cold.

“The temperature didn’t get above zero all day and there could have been black ice and I would have lost control,” the driver wrote, “[but] the tester wanted me to speed up to make green lights.

 I feel like I was doing the right thing, and so feel I was unfairly tested.” 

An RSA statement said: “To note, a little over 180,000 driving tests were booked in for 2022 and a total of 2,205 complaints (1.22%) were received in the same period.

“The RSA takes complaints from members of the public very seriously and each complaint received relating to a driving test is fully assessed before a reply is issued to the complainant.”