| As more and more Drivers take to the road | | | | 1. Firstly the age at which you may learn to Drive |
| every day here in Ireland and a good many of | | | | is 17 and there is a well defined process in |
| these are from countries where Driving | | | | achieving the Provisional License, without which |
| regulations are not exactly top priority, we should | | | | you may not take up a position behind the wheel. |
| look at what is required and how you go about | | | | 2. In order to achieve a Provisional License you |
| getting a Drivers License. | | | | must first sit the Driver Theory Test which |
| Ireland as a senior member of the E.U. and the | | | | consists of a multi-choice exam completed on |
| most successful country from an economic | | | | computer at one of the Nationwide Test Centres. |
| perspective has to comply with all E.U Directives in | | | | 3. Booking for this Test can be done several |
| every sphere and that of course includes Driving, | | | | weeks in advance and a candidate will usually get |
| Driving Tests, Driving Schools and Driving Licenses. | | | | an appointment in about ten days or so. |
| At any given time there will be countries that are | | | | 4. The Test features 40 questions and the pass |
| more advanced in their Driver and Road Safety | | | | mark is 35. |
| strategies than others, but once a Law is passed | | | | 5. Armed with your Test Pass Certificate you |
| in the E.U. then all countries must comply and | | | | may then proceed to the Local Motor Taxation |
| those that have been lacking in foresight or just | | | | office in your Home town to apply for your |
| plain commonsense will have more work to do | | | | Provisional Drivers License. |
| than others who have taken the time to | | | | The Provisional License procedure is rather |
| implement sound Road Safety strategies as a | | | | protracted but with some good organisation it is |
| matter of course. | | | | possible to complete your Theory Test and obtain |
| It is usual for a reasonable time frame to be | | | | your Provisional License on the same day. What |
| offered for compliance with all Driving Directives. | | | | will you need? |
| In some instances several years can elapse | | | | 1. Theory Test Pass Certificate. |
| before full compliance is obtained. A case in point | | | | 2. Application Form. |
| is the new pan-European Driving License which is | | | | 3. Application Fee. |
| due to be fully operational by the year 2012 and | | | | 4. Two Colour Passport Photos. |
| all E.U. Member States will then have identical | | | | 5. An Eye Test Certificate from an Optician. |
| licenses for their Driving community. | | | | 6. Passport or Original Birth Certificate. |
| Ireland is one of the countries who have | | | | 7. In certain cases of specified illnesses or ailments |
| neglected Driver Legislation over the years and | | | | a Doctor's Certificate. |
| now that the road fatalities are a daily talking | | | | With all these Documents arranged all that is left |
| point due to the horrendous number of young | | | | is for you to sit in the Queue at the Motor |
| Drivers being fatally injured, things are beginning to | | | | Taxation Office and usually the turnaround here is |
| change. Driver legislation must change change or | | | | no more than an hour or less. If you get there |
| we will see the cream of a generation wiped out | | | | early you could be out in half an hour! |
| due to negligence. Ireland has spent a small | | | | This is the first hurdle over and you may now |
| fortune (actually a large fortune) on educating | | | | legally sit behind the wheel providing you have a |
| each generation over the last thirty years and | | | | fully qualified Driver alongside you. |
| must now turn that Educational mindset towards | | | | We will examine the next stages of the process |
| Driver Education,Driver Training and Driving | | | | for achieving your Full Drivers License in Ireland in |
| Instructor Standards. | | | | the second part of this article. |
| Exactly what do you have to do? | | | | |