What has changed as we move steadily through 2008 and how do these changes affect what we should be contemplating if we are a Learner Driver or planning to become one shortly?
(1) The numbers of Learner Drivers on the road in Ireland continues to increase due mainly to our unique Demographicsdue to continuing immigrationdue to a steady increase in prosperity as a nation .All of these factors are interlinked and there is no sign that the trend will be reversed any time soon.
(2) An enormous increase in the number of Learner Drivers on the roads over the last couple of years means that being behind the wheel of a car is now becoming more dangerous then ever it was. Therefore it is essential that an aspiring Learner Driver should realise that learning to drive safely does not miraculously happen just because you go out and buy a car and drive around in it for a year or two.
(3) Just because there is no mandatory tuition requirement here at the present (which will come before long!) does not mean that it is acceptable or desirable or indeed safe to buy a car without first taking lessons from a Professional Driving School. This should be the very first step and not the step taken three weeks from your Driving Test appointment!
(4) Driving Legislation has been backed up for a number of years now but thankfully some elements are already underway and will be by Mid summer. The main change to Irish Learner Driver law will be that no one will be allowed to drive unaccompanied any more as has been the case with second provisional license holders until now. All learner drivers will be required to be accompanied by a fully licensed Driver who has held a license for three years.
(5) The long waiting list for a Driving Test appointment which we have had to endure for many years now will be a thing of the past very shortly as the Privatisation of Driving Tests gathers momentum. S.G.S the company who runs the NCT service were awarded a significant contract by the Department of Transport last year and this provides for 100,000 Driving Tests to be completed in 15 months! We are already six months into this contract and it is obvious that waiting times are dropping significantly in many Test Centres!
(6) As a priority and to facilitate Drivers on second provisional Licenses in complying with the change in the Law in just a few months time, Driving Tests are being offered in double quick time. All of this means that no one should be now ignoring this major change in Irish Driving Law and should be planning on taking Driving Lessons as soon as they take out their Provisional License or Learner Permit. We have experienced Tests being offered within a couple of Weeks of applications being sent in. So be warned and get to it before you miss the boat.
(7) The steady increase in the Traffic Corps will also mean that detection of Drivers who have been getting away lightly for years by ignoring the Law, particularly those in the Learner Driver sector will now need to re evaluate their attitude to the Driving Laws and do what it takes to comply. This message cannot be overemphasized and ignorance of the Law will not be tolerated in the future. All of the Driving Legislation currently underway or planned for the next year or two is designed for one thing only and that is to save lives which are being needlessly thrown away at the moment. If you don't have the sense to know what is right and to make decisions on your own safety and that of your passengers and other road users, then you really should not be behind the wheelPeriod. Think on this!
(8) What does this mean for YOU? Well you no longer have the luxury of taking out a Learner Permit and forgetting about taking Driving Lessons for upwards of a year which has been the norm for several years now. Once you apply for a Test it is anticipated that over the next few months and certainly during 2008 the speed at which you receive your Test appointment will surprise you! You need to embark upon an immediate course of Driving Lessons upon getting your Learner permit or replacement provisional license; not only to be ready for the Driving Test when it comes but more importantly to learn how to drive safely. With professional lessons you will have a foundation upon which all your future skills and safety will depend.
(9) Finally to sum up it takes time, effort, money and application to become a competent driver. It takes the same time, effort, money, application and Determination to reach the Driving Test standard and to actually pass the Test on the day .If any of the above attributes are missing the result will not be what you are hoping for.
(10) Now you know what is coming Get to it and Get Driving!
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