There are about 400,000 drivers in Ireland without a licence who are legal to drive unsupervised?

Question

I couldn't believe this when I heard it on the radio. How can this be possible?

Answer 1

Could be that they're all pretty old.  Not sure when Ireland brought in driving tests but I still know a couple of peoples grandparents who never had to take a test when they started driving here and for some reason never had to.  Maybe it came in later there as that would explain such a large number.  Otherwise of course it could all be tosh..... What radio station was it?

Answer 2

Years ago in Ireland you didn't need to take a test to legally drive. (The UK also but a test was introduced much earlier Than Ireland).

There was a time when there was such a backlog for test dates that if you had a provisional license for long enough you were automatically awarded a full License. This was only about 20 years ago.

I guess some people who legally drove prior to needing a license were Grandaded into the scheme. 400,000 tests for people who've been driving for years is a lot to organise and administer.

Answer 3

The waiting times for a test are usually over 1 year. There are over 400,000 Irish drivers on provisional B licences and there is a high failure rate of the test.

Answer 4

wow !

I think I'll stay off the streets

Answer 5

...and they all come to Manchester every Monday morning.

Answer 6

Come to the US where there is an estimated 12 million people undocumented or without license.

Answer? The leaders let it happen.

Answer 7

When its takes 9mts to get a driving test its bloody easy to understand. The vast bulk of them can drive perfectly fine nothing wrong  with their driving. government just wants to have some one to blame as part of their safety politics. Provisional drivers account for less than 1% of entire accidents in the country yet are being made the scape goats. goverment stands to make €12,000,000+ on applications alones and another 6 million on licence fees. They should be hunting the forgine drivers who come here with cars that dont have to have a NCT done for 2yrs after arrival. They have insurace and a driving licence that is not enven worth the paper its printed on and twhen they have a crash or are caught drinking buggerall is done because they are forigners and the guards can only punish the Irish nationals.

Answer 8

It can only be possible among a nation with unusually high %s of road accidents!

Have you checked out such per capita %s??

Answer 9

you can also take your driving test fail it and drive out of the test centre afterwards in ireland lol

Answer 10

Really, my god that is terrible, I think they need to look at their driving laws pretty quick sharp.