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Why
are we Waiting? Ten reasons for the lengthy
delay in get |
by:
Robin
Piggott |
The
long waiting time to get a Driving Test
Appointment here in Ireland is of course
the responsibility of the Department of
Transport. Or is it? It is so easy to blame
your Government for every ill that assails
us, but let's look at the real reasons for
the delay.
There are many factors leading to the incredible
waiting time for Driving Test.
1.Demographics --- here in Ireland we have
a very high proportion of the population
in the age group 17 to 30 which is the prime
time for learning to drive.
2.Immigration --- As a result of our new-found
prosperity: Celtic Tiger Economy and all
that, we are not only attracting back expatriates
but we have become flavor of the month for
those looking to find a new life from both
the European bloc and further distant countries.
Since the accession of 10 new States to
the EU during 2004 there are numerous ethnic
groups wending their way to Ireland. Most
of these families will ultimately be in
a position to own cars and the children
of these families will also aspire to drive
when they are old enough.
3.Government Legislation --- introduced
in JAN.2003,as part of EU Directives ,has
led to a large chunk of drivers being forced
to sit a Driving Test instead of being happy
to drive on a provisional license for upwards
of 25 years! In the lead up to this legislation,
on one day alone, upwards of 8000 applications
were received by the Driver Testing Section.
4.Candidates failing to turn up. Many Test
candidates just don't turn up at all. A
recent grapevine comment from a Driving
Tester indicated that four of his first
six appointments on one day failed to show.
5.Cars not being up to the required Standard---Despite
an extensive two page list of requirements
on the Day, which is sent with all Test
Appointments, cars are still being turned
down .Some of the most common faults are
:- Faulty Brake Lights; Cracked Windscreens;
Faded and unreadable Insurance Discs; Poor
Tyres.
6.Novice Drivers Unprepared---Learner Drivers
are to a greater degree not taking adequate
Driving Lessons. The result of this is a
high first time failure rate. Lack of practice,
in addition to Lessons is also contributing
to candidates having to re- sit the Test.
7.Driving Test standards and requirements
unknown---The changes due to recent Legislation
will not always be known unless the candidate
takes the trouble to enroll with a professional
Driving School. Recently introduced on 14th
February 2005 are the Technical checks which
require a candidate to know their way around
under the Bonnet (hood).
8.Cancellations ---Obviously there will
be genuine reasons for last minute cancellations
such as family problems, health problems
and so on but there are too many cancellations
from pupils who are chickening out at the
last moment .A recent candidate told me
that her car had been stolen twice and of
course hiring a Driving School car for a
Test at the last moment is not an advisable
course of action. Getting used to strange
car is not something that you can do in
just a few minutes.
9.Overconfidence---It is a myth that the
longer you are driving the better you become.
If a learner Driver hasn't been taught the
basics and some more advanced skills at
the start of their driving career they will
very quickly pick up poor techniques and
habits which will be difficult to rectify
at short notice.
10.Learning to Drive with Mum, Dad, Boyfriend,
Girlfriend.--- Many Adult Drivers have never
taken a Driving Test, particularly those
over 60 years of age and are not equipped
to teach their offspring. In fact a high
proportion of Adult Drivers exhibit such
disregard for the basic Rules of the Road
that they shouldn't be permitted to be behind
the wheel themselves, much less try to teach
their children.
About the Author
Robin Piggott is a professional Driving
Instructor who runs a School in Limerick,
Ireland.To help the undecided learner
driver make an informed decision and to
get a head start, they should check out
his web site and blog for the latest developments
in the Driving Scene in Ireland.
http://www.astralmotoring.ie
http://astralmotoring.blogspot.com
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