Ireland’s ‘worst driver’ vows to keep getting behind wheel of car

Cork Trucker

Is this a new record? I do feel sorry for the gentleman but clearly he is not listening to his driving instructors for a start

THE “worst driver” in Ireland has vowed to carry on driving — despite having failed his test 20 times.

It’s Hell Plates forever for Co Cork man Ray Heffernan, 69, who also lost eight court appeals against the decision by test centres to fail him.

https://www.thesun.ie/news/4482021/irelands-worst-driver-failing-test-twenty-times/

Stark

Hope he's not driving unaccompanied between tests.

cruizer101

“I’ve never had an accident in 54 years, except one time when a fella came down the middle of the road and crashed into me — it was his fault.”

Whats the chances he has obliviously caused a few and kept going on his merry way.
By the sounds of it he really shouldn't be allowed drive at all.

KevRossi

I wonder how many years did he drive alone on the old 'second provisional' licence rule.

Still hard to believe that he can fail 20 times and still legally drive around the place (and yes I know he needs a qualified driver in the car with him).

CardinalJ

Driving isn't for everyone.

If you've failed your test that many times you need a different type of assesent to see if you have the ability to learn to drive.

The consequences are too high.

Cork Trucker

He's 69 now and failed 20 times, i'd say he needs to hang up his steering wheel. Also interesting how he claims to have driven over in the UK when all he has ever held is a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit, both of which weren't/aren't valid outside the Republic.

Cork Trucker

His 10th attempt was alarming

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/motorist-who-failed-10-driving-tests-loses-appeal-1.602561

Driving tester Kevin Condren said he was in potential danger in the car on at least five occasions during the test. Mr Heffernan drove through stop signs, failed to signal, failed to respond to instructions, over-revved the car and his observation was particularly poor, Mr Condren said.

After instructing him to take the second exit off a mini roundabout, Mr Heffernan drove through the roundabout before asking, “So where is this mini roundabout?

Midnight_EG

All of these tests have been conducted (only since) 2004 :O

Cork Trucker

Midnight_EG wrote: »

All of these tests have been conducted (only since) 2004 :O

And local shock jock Neil Prendeville of RedFM is going to continue to pay for them until (if) he passes.

The Nal

What a loser

Stark

KevRossi wrote: »

I wonder how many years did he drive alone on the old 'second provisional' licence rule.

Still hard to believe that he can fail 20 times and still legally drive around the place (and yes I know he needs a qualified driver in the car with him).

That would only have been valid for 2 years. Other 18 years he would have been driving illegally (assuming he was driving unaccompanied).

cruizier101 wrote:

“I’ve never had an accident in 54 years, except one time when a fella came down the middle of the road and crashed into me — it was his fault.”

Whats the chances he has obliviously caused a few and kept going on his merry way.
By the sounds of it he really shouldn't be allowed drive at all.

This ^^

Heard the "I've never had an accident" line many a time as if it was the be all of driving. Just means someone was lucky enough that the other drivers they've met were able to react defensively to their bad driving.

Del2005

Cork Trucker wrote: »

He's 69 now and failed 20 times, i'd say he needs to hang up his steering wheel. Also interesting how he claims to have driven over in the UK when all he has ever held is a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit, both of which weren't/aren't valid outside the Republic.

Obviously never got stopped when driving in the UK. I know a good few people who drove up North on Irish provisional licences, before the learner permit was introduced, and when I told them that they were not legal they were shocked. Ignorance is no excuse but loads of people are ignorant of the law.

I've encountered worse.

Cork Trucker

Del2005 wrote: »

Obviously never got stopped when driving in the UK. I know a good few people who drove up North on Irish provisional licences, before the learner permit was introduced, and when I told them that they were not legal they were shocked. Ignorance is no excuse but loads of people are ignorant of the law.

Cops in the UK/NI aren't as tolerant as the guys in the ROI, they take no sh1t. He was lucky then. Nowhere are people more ignorant of the law than the ROI

Cork Trucker

Deleted User wrote: »

I've encountered worse.

Worse than 20 failures of a driving test?

Stark

Well there are a lot of people who have been driving for decades and never even sat a test...

Cork Trucker

Stark wrote: »

Well there are a lot of people who have been driving for decades and never even sat a test...

The 1979 amnesty played its part in that as well, some of those licence holders are as young as 57 today.

Del2005

Stark wrote: »

Well there are a lot of people who have been driving for decades and never even sat a test...

They never failed a test though, never mind 20.

colm_mcm

I’m gonna guess he’s not getting lessons?
I would also suppose he’s paying less for insurance than I am.

Cork Trucker

colm_mcm wrote: »

I’m gonna guess he’s not getting lessons?
I would also suppose he’s paying less for insurance than I am.

I'm personally aware of 1 instructor who has given him lessons previously, they told me 3 things:

1. He never shuts up on a lesson and in doing so takes his hands off the wheel while talking.

2. He does this during the driving test as well a tester previously allegedly reported.

3. He won't listen to the several instructors who have taken him out as 'he knows best and was driving before his instructors were even born'

He says he's tried Mallow,Cork City & Dungarvan for his tests, no mention of Skibbereen though, that's meant to be an easy place according to those who i know sat the test there. Also he is probably right in saying that every driver tester in Ireland knows who he is. Even if he were to pass now he is almost 70, and would only get a full licence for between 1-3 years depending on what certification your doctor gives. Either way this guy should possibly just give up, the testers don't have a vendetta against him, he has a vendetta against himself by claiming he is blacklisted. I've met a variety of testers over the years and each and everyone of them was impartial and fair. Why he thinks they would just single him out is beyond me. But what is alarming is that he is driving 54 years as he claims, was it normal to drive aged 15 on the roads back in 1965? a year after driver testing was introduced? and it took him a further 39 years to apply for a driving test for the first time. How this guy managed to evade the UK/NI cops while on a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit i will never understand also. It does seem he's adhering to the law when it comes to being accompanied though.

MascotDec85

I recently had a woman come to me having failed her 17 previous tests. She passed the 18th and the improvement in her driving was unreal. I wonder what work this guy is putting in.

Cork Trucker

MascotDec85 wrote: »

I recently had a woman come to me having failed her 17 previous tests. She passed the 18th and the improvement in her driving was unreal. I wonder what work this guy is putting in.

Would it appeal to you to come down and see? Even just to satisfy your curiosity? this guy is national (possibly international) news. Well done on helping that lady btw. I wonder will test 21 be the key of the (car) door for Mr Heffernan

MascotDec85

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Would it appeal to you to come down and see? Even just to satisfy your curiosity? this guy is national (possibly international) news. Well done on helping that lady btw. I wonder will test 21 be the key of the (car) door for Mr Heffernan

Sure he could drive up to me haha

El_Duderino 09

Cork Trucker wrote: »

[...] How this guy managed to evade the UK/NI cops while on a Provisional Licence/Learner Permit i will never understand also. It does seem he's adhering to the law when it comes to being accompanied though.

I was driving for nearly a decade while living in the UK and was only asked for my licence by a police officer once. I was giving a friend a lift home from the pub and I stopped so they could get sick in the ditch, outside a factory. What I didn't know was the factory was actually a gas power plant. So when the police passed and saw us loitering outside a power station they went bananas and phoned in my license.

Whole thing was sorted in a few minutes and everyone was good humoured about it once they saw what was happening.

Yer man in a bit of a clown, looking for his 15 minutes of fame. He's within the law so what can you do?

Cork Trucker

MascotDec85 wrote: »

Sure he could drive up to me haha

Not on a motorway though

Cork Trucker

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I was driving for nearly a decade while living in the UK and was only asked for my licence by a police officer once. I was giving a friend a lift home from the pub and I stopped so they could get sick in the ditch, outside a factory. What I didn't know was the factory was actually a gas power plant. So when the police passed and saw us loitering outside a power station they went bananas and phoned in my license.

Whole thing was sorted in a few minutes and everyone was good humoured about it once they saw what was happening.

Yer man in a bit of a clown, looking for his 15 minutes of fame. He's within the law so what can you do?

No wonder they did go mad :pac: You were on a provisional and they had no problem with it?

This thing with yer man is going on in the public domain years, he's had his 15 minutes over and over, literally :pac:

El_Duderino 09

Cork Trucker wrote: »

No wonder they did go mad :pac: You were on a provisional and they had no problem with it?

This thing with yer man is going on in the public domain years, he's had his 15 minutes over and over, literally :pac:

I was on a full licence so it was grand. Apart from that I've never has to show it to police.

Cork Trucker

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

I was on a full licence so it was grand. Apart from that I've never has to show it to police.

Ah yeah a full licence is grand in the EU. Christ aren't you lucky, i've been asked for it like it's confetti over the years, even before i started driving trucks. The joys of driving a 'boxy' Civic and a CRX all those years ago :pac:

Welshprince

Most Irish Drivers should be off the roads! In my town, Stop signs are seen as just street decorations, only being observed if inconvenienced by an oncoming vehicle. Stopping at a Stop sign is not optional it is obligatory. People park in Box Junctions and also on the wrong side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, and when they want to leave, they pull out and stop people who have the legitimate right of way! They reverse from side streets into flowing traffic and give a small salute as if that somehow pardons their dangerous and inexcusable actions.
I see cars with Driving Instructors and students performing some astonishing acts, so that it appears the Irish are taught to be horrendous whilst in control of a car. It is sad that so many are killed each year on the roads but until you change your habits there will be no decrease in unnecessary deaths. I have driven all over the world and sadly the Irish are almost top of the list for the "worst" title. The guy you are talking about on here is just a more extreme version of yourselves!

El_Duderino 09

Cork Trucker wrote: »

Ah yeah a full licence is grand in the EU. Christ aren't you lucky, i've been asked for it like it's confetti over the years, even before i started driving trucks. The joys of driving a 'boxy' Civic and a CRX all those years ago :pac:

Yeah that'll do it. If you ever need to be a bit more anonymous, I can thoroughly recommend a 10 year old ford KA!

Cork Trucker

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah that'll do it. If you ever need to be a bit more anonymous, I can thoroughly recommend a 10 year old ford KA!

I drive a Toyota Corolla at the minute, totally standard, fits in well so anonymity is achieved quite easily.

The guy around whom this post is centered drives an old Almera, that alone is a sin.

As for a Ford Ka, they are the stuff of nightmares :pac:

Cork Trucker

Welshprince wrote: »

Most Irish Drivers should be off the roads! In my town, Stop signs are seen as just street decorations, only being observed if inconvenienced by an oncoming vehicle. Stopping at a Stop sign is not optional it is obligatory. People park in Box Junctions and also on the wrong side of the road, facing oncoming traffic, and when they want to leave, they pull out and stop people who have the legitimate right of way! They reverse from side streets into flowing traffic and give a small salute as if that somehow pardons their dangerous and inexcusable actions.
I see cars with Driving Instructors and students performing some astonishing acts, so that it appears the Irish are taught to be horrendous whilst in control of a car. It is sad that so many are killed each year on the roads but until you change your habits there will be no decrease in unnecessary deaths. I have driven all over the world and sadly the Irish are almost top of the list for the "worst" title. The guy you are talking about on here is just a more extreme version of yourselves!

And there we have it, Mr Perfect has been found!