By 
Turning an interview into an article can be helpful, as it will be more conversational in style and perhaps less formal.
“I guess I want to know a couple of things
1- How do you rate the testing system in Ireland, both for theory and full test?
Theory Testing Service is fine up to a point. It’s only been around for five years and it’s better than nothing. I guess it prevents total wackos from registering for a provisional license. Not exactly the same standard as the UK. Version as there are many more signals in the UK that we don’t have here in Ireland. Perhaps in the next few years it will be expanded. I don’t have any figures for failure rates. A hazard awareness test was recently introduced in the UK to form part of the general driving test. This would be a good model for Ireland as hazard awareness is one of the most difficult aspects of driving, especially for novice drivers. Confronting and anticipating hazards is, I believe, one of the most fundamental aspects of safe driving. A student simply doesn’t have the experience down the road to be more than mediocre at this skill unless taught by a truly experienced Instructor!
The full driving test is nowhere near the standard that is currently applied throughout Europe, but it has improved a lot in the last four years (mainly due to EU Directives)
For example, we do not have an emergency stop or reverse parking in a space between two cars. The introduction of these two maneuvers alone, at the current skill level throughout the novice driving community, would dramatically increase the failure rate. The only common denominator in the failure rate and level of accidents is the fact that so many young learner drivers seem to be under the impression that owning and driving a car (often unaccompanied) for about a year makes them (a) an expert Driver and (b) ready to pass the test! They don’t take lessons when they start because it’s uncool…it’s expensive…it’s not required…and “I’m sure all I have to do is hit the gas and brake once in a while and I’ll be fine.” “! We both know that this laissez-faire attitude is what is causing a very high proportion of accidents, both fatal and otherwise.
There should also be a high-speed roadway section on the driving test, as the experience here would greatly benefit a learner driver. Of course, I’ve always given high speed classes as soon as a student was ready (usually around the fifth session… now it’s two hour sessions), that’s our standard lesson. Rural roads should also be included in the driving test as they are probably the deadliest on the Irish road network. You know… coming too fast around a curve to suddenly find ten tons of field scattered all over the road like a farmer spreads or silage or whatever. All of this would add up to a much longer driving test that would require much more serious tuition and preparation if the candidate passed. Driving round and round through the housing estates of Caherdavin in Limerick or Raheny in Dublin does not prepare a driver for the real Irish conditions on motorways, country roads and carriageways which are by far the best types of driving conditions.
“2- What do you think is the main reason why people fail?”
Lack of basic lessons and lack of in-depth pre-test instruction and practice. Without a good foundation with a professional Instructor (no mom or dad or boyfriend or next door neighbor), no matter how much you drive to the beach every weekend or across the country in the Nissan MICRA, a learner driver will not meet the test standard. by wishing and hoping!
“3-What do you think people should do after failing?”
Reapply right away and take the lessons you should have done to begin with! Then practice the newly acquired skills (which they would already have had they gone to professional driving school in the first place).
“4- What would you say to people who might suggest that learning schools want people to fail so they can come to you for more lessons?”
No Professional Instructor wants their Student to fail. Of course, some students might think that an Instructor could extract more lessons from them and not be truthful about their actual abilities or chances of passing. As for me, I teach (or try to!) life skills that go way beyond the driving test level. Passing the driving test is just the beginning of the learning process and allows a driver to begin practicing and perfecting many different skills and techniques.
“5- What do you think are the main reasons for deaths on Irish roads?”
There is no mandatory training in place (but it is coming…it has to!) Many basic skills and levels of awareness can be taught to young children while being transported as Passengers in a car. Fifteen and sixteen year olds can be trained in Theoretical Principles and take their theoretical exam before they turn 17, as the Examination Certificate is valid for two years.
There is nothing like enough emphasis on life skills for many Instructors. Heck we have so called Instructors in Limerick leaving the Testing Centers with Students in the Students’ own cars with no L Plates displayed! A professional driving school carries sets of L plates with them all the time, so if they meet a student in their own car for the first time, that’s the first thing they check…then they check the certificates on the windshield and then Give a close scrutiny to all tires.
In short…not enough registration of a high enough caliber…not enough bad weather experience, which, along with the poor condition of many secondary roads, contributes greatly…and basically a complete lack of understanding of the dangers involved in Driving a Motor Vehicle.
“That’s all I can think of for now…”
Hope this helps… Instructor
“A million thanks”