Irish driving test should examine motorway competence – minister

Seán Canney believes the L-test should be changed to fully reflect the road network and conditions that motorists encounter

Learners are not allowed drive on motorways — but can do so as soon as they pass the L-test and get a full licence. Picture: iStock

The driving test should be changed to include an assessment of a person's competency on motorways, and simulators could potentially be used to ensure driving on such stretches is up to scratch, according to the junior transport minister.

In areas where a motorway is not close to a test centre, a simulator could be used, Seán Canney said, adding that he is to ask the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to review aspects of the current driving curriculum.

Mr Canney believes that the test in its current format does not fully reflect the road network and conditions that motorists now encounter and should be changed to ensure drivers are fully competent behind the wheel.

Learners cannot drive on motorways 

The driving test includes questions on the rules of the road as well as assessments on reversing around a corner, the use of mirrors, and managing the vehicle in traffic.

However, learner drivers are not allowed to drive on motorways, even with a qualified accompanying driver.

Once a person has passed their test and holds a full licence for that vehicle category, they are free to drive on motorways.

"I will be asking the RSA to review the curriculum for the driving test to see if it is necessary to make changes to reflect the type of roads we now have as opposed to the type of roads we had when they were first introduced," the Minister of State at the Department of Transport said.

Mr Canney told the Irish Examiner he is in favour of incorporating motorway driving into both lessons and the test itself; however, he said consideration would have to be given to areas that are not covered by a large motorway network.

"You take a county like Donegal might not have a motorway, so how do you actually implement that? There has to be an element of training, whether it be practical training or not. But there has to be some element [of motorway driving] for people when they are doing their lessons to get ready for their driving test.

"When you do your test, where would you go to get a bit of motorway to test the person? That is the practical implication for it. But I think within the training, that they should maybe have some simulator training or whatever on the motorway," he said.

Mr Canney added that he has met with those representing driving instructors, who he said feel that there is "always room for improvement and for bringing things up to modern-day standards".

While he said he would be in favour of retaining the much-discussed requirement to reverse around a bend as part of the test, the Galway East TD added: "I would look at adding maybe some things to bring the driving training more relevant to the roads we now have."

Response to M9 disaster

It comes as the wider issue of motorway safety is in the spotlight after several incidents involving people driving the wrong way and posting videos of the illegal behaviour online.

Department of Transport officials are due to meet with counterparts in the Justice Department as well as the Attorney General this week to progress legislation to impose longer jail terms on people convicted of driving the wrong way down a motorway will be introduced by the end of the year.

Calls for tougher sentencing and more support for the gardaí have been made following a crash on the M9 which left five teenagers dead and three sisters and one of their children seriously injured.

After meeting with members of the gardaí, the RSA, and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) late last week, Mr Canney said rolling out "all types of technology", including AI, is now being considered to both track dangerous driving and alert other motorists across the road network.

It comes as driving test times around the country vary wildly, with the national average waiting period just over 12 weeks.

RSA to shut Raheny test centre

The RSA announced last month that it will close its Raheny test centre in north Dublin in mid-September, despite a seven-month waiting list. 

More than 2,850 learners awaiting a test are to be sent to nearby Killester, where nearly 1,400 people are already on the list, figures provided to Sinn Féin’s transport spokesperson Pa Daly showed.

• Elaine Loughlin, Political Editor