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Child Item

Can learner driver drive and go alone at test centre for driving test?

rustygb

I have bought a car with which I'm planning to give the driving test. Currently, I hold a learner's permit and I don't know anyone in Ireland who has 2 years and old full driving license and can accompany me for my test.

In this case, can I go to the test alone by driving my car to the test centre?

Does the tester at the test centre checks if you have come to the test centre by yourself or you have been accompanied by an experienced driver?

If anyone has gone through the same situation, please help to mention your case and what you did, it would help me a lot.

Thanks.

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Comments

Diemos

Everyone is just going to tell you that this is illegal.

You could have a driving instructor take you there. Even if you are a confident driver, having a local instructor that knows the routes is a huge help.

sam t smith

The government should invest in mobile car crushers. When an unaccompanied learner permit holder is caught driving, the crusher is called, turns up and the car is crushed on the spot with the invoice presented to the unaccompanied learner permit holder.

c.p.w.g.w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118924239#Comment_118924239

I drove unaccompanied for nearly 2 years and made me a better driver...

And it's funny I know many who did everything by the book and once they passed their test, had started to accumulate penalty points fair fast...

Also I often drove to Dublin on the motorway while a learner, and that's all sorts of illegal

GIMP

You will be grand to drive to the test center on your own, they don't check, they are more focused on the test itself. Anyways if in the unlikely case you were asked say a family member drove you and they have gone for a walk or a coffee.

appledrop

Years ago, everyone drove to test centre themselves.

I always thought it was mad that you would come out after failing your test and were allowed drive home but everyone did.

Now the rules have gotten a lot stricter since then so you are taking a risk driving unaccompanied on your own as a learner driver.

magicbastarder

You're simply not allowed drive on your own if you haven't passed a test.

[Deleted User]

As others mentioned, they don't check. And if anybody asked you could just say a friend brought you over and went off for a coffee

whelan2

You're not insured to drive alone on a learner permit. End of.

J_R

See the RSA official guidelines https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/learner-permit/unaccompanied-drivers

And

Nearly 5,000 cars driven by unaccompanied learners detained as thousands await tests

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/nearly-5000-cars-driven-unaccompanied-24668197

sam t smith

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118924846#Comment_118924846

Crush ‘em!

youngeddyg

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241619/can-learner-driver-drive-and-go-alone-at-test-centre-for-driving-test

Hi, just wondering if you've attended your test yet, and if you were able to sit the test if you arrived unaccompanied?

[Steve]

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119347217#Comment_119347217

Just chiming in based on my own experience -- I arrived accompanied but they had left well before I received the call for the test. There was no formal check or question about arriving accompanied or not from the examiner.

At the end of the day they [probably] are not going to care. It [probably] doesn't invalidate your test and they aren't the Gardai. They might report it but then again they're too busy to be bothering with that sort of thing. On the other hand you might have a strict examiner who refuses to conduct the test.

It's just best to adhere to the law and arrive accompanied. Why risk it so close to being potentially able to legally drive alone anyway.

edit -- As an addition (and mentioned by others) - The certificate of competency (form received after passing) means nothing to the Gardai. You can legally drive alone only once you've got your full licence in your possession along with N plates on the car. If you apply for the licence online via NDLS with an approved MyGov account it only takes about 3-4 days to get the licence in the post.

Akrasia

Even if you pass the test you're not actually a licensed driver until the paperwork is processed and the license is issued, so legally, if you pass your test drive home unaccompanied, and get stopped by the gardai, they could still impound your car even if you show them the letter saying you've passed

https://www.rsa.ie/services/learner-drivers/the-driving-test/after-you-pass-your-test

Its rules like this that make Irish people play fast and loose with the laws sometimes

Same with the NCT. You're not allowed to drive a car to an NCT test centre without a valid NCT, but in all the time I've been to NCT centres, I have never once seen a car been towed there or unloaded from a truck to do the test.

In general, the gardai will have a bit of cop on unless they don't like the look of ya which must be a bit of a dose if you're from a demographic that the Gardai are biased against.

SteM

I did my test about 10 years ago in Tallaght. When I was pulling into the carpark after the test there was a girl with an L plate driving in on her own directly ahead of me. I know for a fact that the tester wrote her reg down, I saw him do it as I was getting out of the car and I guess it was because she was driving alone on an L plate.

I don't know if anything happened to her, but when people say they are not going to care that might only be true 90% of the time. I wouldn't bother risking it tbh.