Sir, - I have recently retired from the driving instructor business and with 31 years' experience and no axe to grind may I be allowed to comment on the point made by Eoin Kirwan (July 14th)? I can offer five reasons why our driving test is putting potentially dangerous drivers on our roads.
1. No city-centre driving.
2. No driving on dual-carriageways.
3. No driving on the narrow, twisting roads we have around the country.
4. No night driving.
5. No driving in adverse weather conditions. A light fall of snow, for instance, and tests are cancelled.
To make matters worse, the four test centres in Dublin are situated in the outer suburbs. A test covers five or six miles for a duration of 20 to 25 minutes. In this time and over this distance a former bus or truck driver has the power to release on to our roads learners who in all probability were shown rather than taught to "drive".
May I conclude by stressing that the above refers to Dublin, but since most test centres are in small country towns the standard of proficiency must obviously be lower (if that is possible). - Yours, etc.,
Simon Cullen, Birchview Heights, Kilnamanagh, Dublin 24.