Learner drivers face an expanded theory test from October that will focus on emergency situations on the roads and for the first time will require motorbike and moped riders to sit a separate theory exam.
The expanded driver theory test, announced by Minister for Transport Martin Cullen yesterday, will see the introduction of an increased number of potential questions and answers as well as questions on pedestrian safety. The pass mark of 35 correct answers out of 40 will remain.
However the test was described last night as "useless" by the Driving Instructors Register (DIR), which represents 1,400 of the approximately 2,000 instructors in Ireland.
DIR chief executive Des Cummins said he welcomed any initiative to increase driver education but said the theory test needed to be applied in tandem with compulsory lessons for all learner drivers.
"There is no educational value in the theory test. It is useless," he told The Irish Times. He said the theory test ensures driving instructors are "left out of the loop" because learners have to pass it before they receive formal driving lessons from them.
"We aren't going to see people until they have passed the theory test and once they pass the test they feel infallable. They think they know it all because they've passed this test."
Since April 2001 a driving theory test must be passed before a person can get their first provisional driving licence. The test is taken on a computer monitor in the form of 40 multiple-choice questions.
But from Saturday October 21st next, the number of potential questions that can be asked will increase from 750 to 1,250 with additional questions focussing particularly on how to react in unexpected emergency situations. The bank of questions for truck drivers and bus drivers has also been expanded.
The new test will also take into account legislative changes such as the expansion of the penalty points system and new potential hazards on the road network such as Luas trams in Dublin. The number of answers a candidate can choose from will also increase from the current three to four or five in most cases.
For the first time those seeking a licence for a motorbike or moped will have to take a separate theory test. Minister Cullen said this was "an important step in developing the knowledge and skills of motorcyclists.
"Taken in conjunction with the introduction of compulsory basic training for first-time provisionally licensed motorcyclists, these measures are a significant response in road safety terms in addressing the high ratio of accidents involving motorcyclists," the Minister said.
Garda figures show 22 motorcyclists died on the roads so far this year. The new test will also include questions focussing on pedestrian safety. A total of 44 pedestrians have lost their lives on the roads in 2006.
The private company that runs the theory test for the Road Safety Authority, Prometric Ireland, said the improvements meant there was "no doubt it is a more challenging test for novice drivers."
A spokesman said the separate test for motorbike and moped riders as well as plans for compulsory basic training for them provided a "co-ordinated" approach to biker safety.
However, Cummins said the testing of motorbike riders needed to be overhauled with "helmet-to-helmet" practical tests like in Britain. "Here, the tester follows in a car and a lot of the time the [ motorcyclist] gets lost."
Cummins also said the emergency stop should be re-introduced to the practical driving test, particularly because reaction to emergency situations was now part of the theory test.
The new second edition book and CD will be available from bookshops across the country from this week.
