Learner drivers ‘can start their own driving schools’

LEARNER drivers can start up their own driving schools because of the lack of regulation in the sector, it was claimed yesterday.

The director of the Irish School of Motoring (ISM) also branded the theory exam inadequate and the driving test a joke and said it was scandalous that learner drivers had to wait up to 18 months to sit a test.

Addressing a road safety conference in Ennis yesterday, John Walsh warned lives were being put at risk by unqualified, untrained driving instructors.

Dismissing the current driving test system as "a sorry mess", Mr Walsh called for a complete overhaul.

He told the conference, organised by the Safe Driving Pledge campaign, he was disillusioned by last year's death toll of 400.

"Will it be the same this year? Next year? It probably will unless the Government takes action and changes the rules and makes the driving test system more meaningful," Mr Walsh said.

This year, 75 people have lost their lives on the roads.

Mr Walsh said there are 400,000 provisional drivers on the road with 131,000 waiting to sit the driving test.

"Only in Ireland in 2006 can you establish your own driving school and not even have a full driving licence. This has to stop. I'm so frustrated with inaction on the whole issue of road safety since I started in the business in 1964.

"The driving test is completely inadequate. It is the exact same test that was introduced over 40 years ago. It is conducted at an average of 20mph how does that equip someone to drive on a motorway, dual carriageway, country roads, wet roads, night driving? This can't go on for much longer. The system has to be revamped."

Comparing the Irish and German experience on driving tests, he said the average failure rate here is 50% compared to 26% in Germany. In Ireland, no theory is needed while in Germany you must have 10 theory hours completed.

"No road experience is needed here, while in

Germany, 10 hours' training must be completed. Here, no approval from instructors is needed to sit the test, while no driving test can be taken in Germany until an instructor signs a form stating that the applicant has 20 hours' training. Here you can be waiting 18 months to sit the driving test and in Germany, it is six weeks waiting time."

Mr Walsh said 70% of motorcyclists are on provisional licences, account for 2% of licensed vehicles, but represent 12% of fatalities.

The conference also heard that the vast majority of parents were willing to pay for driving school tuition courses.

A survey carried out by the Irish Drivers Education Association found 98% of parents want schools to teach their children how to drive and they are willing to pay for it.

Mr Walsh's criticisms come as figures show only 40% of drivers charged with drink driving are convicted or banned. Since 2002, 37,897 people have been charged with drink driving. Just 20,447 were convicted.