I have a driving license from another country and was allowed to drive in Ireland for one year after moving here. I started driving lessons before COVID but wasn’t able to finish before the lockdowns. Driving instructors have been super busy ever since. I gave a driving school a call today and they said that now they are busier than ever because the RSA increased their test rate and thus more people are booking lessons.

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1. Any idea on how much longer this will go on?
2. Any tips on how to get a decent driving instructor in Dublin?
3. I had a chat about this with a friend. He says that driving with the learning permit unaccompanied is very common in Ireland and the gards don’t check your license anyway. Apparently, one third of learners have driven alone:[https://www.allianz.ie/blog/your-car/learner-drivers-poll.html](https://www.allianz.ie/blog/your-car/learner-drivers-poll.html) . Can anyone share their experience? I feel like I don’t have any local context on this since I’m not Irish.

5 comments

  2. Point 3 is bad advice. They can and do seize cars for that.

    Cornels Driving School Dun-Laoghaire is a great instructor. Might be worth a shot.

    Covid broke everything in Ireland.

  3. I drove around by myself for 9 months while learning to drive. I had nobody to accompany me as I lived with my girlfriend and she doesn’t drive and we live away from our families.

    I didn’t drive by myself until my 6th or 7th lesson and only drove on roads I knew and tried my hardest to drive as carefully as possible. I drove every day into town for work and home and occasionally to the town beside mine for shopping. Only had one interaction with the guards and It was at a checkpoint, they checked my tax insurance and nct were displayed and then let me off, I had a passenger in the car but she didn’t have a license at all and they didn’t ask any questions about a license.

    I drove in front and behind guards with my L plates up while alone many times and nothing came from it except anxiety.

  4. I drive around my area a lot by myself. I avoid the motorway unless someone is with me.
    To be honest it’s the only way I was gonna get good at actual driving.
    I agree I still need help to pass a test but for practical hands on experience I needed to just get out myself.
    Driving lessons are fecking awful I find. Just becomes stressful.
    Obviously it’s not correct to do and you could get stung but that’s a choice for you to make.

  5. >one third of learners have driven alone

    ‘Have driven alone’ and ‘drive alone regularly’ are two different things. The penalties for getting caught are high. I wouldn’t know how strict the Gardaí are on it but I wouldn’t say it’s common for people to drive on Ls here at all. You’ll get people replying to you saying they do, sure, but I’d say it’s uncommon enough.

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