South Meath Driving School

A number of driving tests are not conducted/completed because test candidates do not meet certain requirements on the day of the test.

Set out below are the main requirements that must be met. Some of these conditions are legal requirements eg. tread depth for tyres. In other cases, they are to ensure thatthe vehicle complies with health and safety requirements eg. head restraint in place.

1. You must be present in the test centre before the appointed time of your test. If you are late, the test cannot be conducted and your fee will be forfeited.

2. You must produce your current Irish learner permit for your test category. The driver tester will check that it relates to you, is current and is for the correct category of vehicle. If you are a fi rst time learner permit holder and your test is for a motorcycle, works vehicle or car (licence categories M, A1, A, W, B or EB) you can only take a test if you have held the learner permit for at least six months.

3. If you are taking a motorcycle test, i.e. category A or A1, you must satisfy yourself that the vehicle presented for test is consistent with any restrictions denoted on the learner permit.

4. Please ensure that the vehicle you are using for your test meets the minimum vehicle requirements for the
driving test as set out in your appointment letter. It is also essential the vehicle has reasonably clean seating
or seat covering i.e. free from excessive dust/dirt dampness or moisture. Broken/unstable seats are not
acceptable for test purposes for safety reasons.

5. You must be insured to drive the vehicle. The vehicle must display a current valid original Insurance Disc
(white background with a green band extending along left hand side). The disc must clearly show the
Registration Number (or fl eet name) of the vehicle (not Chassis Number) and the policy dates. If the details
are faded you should get the disc replaced prior to the test. You will be asked to read and sign a statement
confi rming that the vehicle insurance cover is in place and is adequate.

6. Vehicles used as taxis or hackneys are not permitted to be used as driving test vehicles unless the appropriate rate of Vehicle Excise Duty has been paid i.e. Class Private.

7. Vehicles hired under a hire agreement are not generally insured for a driving test. If you plan to use such a
vehicle you must get a note from the hire company indicating that it is insured for the driving test. This must
be given to the driver tester on the day of the test.

8. Vehicles registered outside the State are not accepted for test purposes.

9. The following must be displayed on your vehicle:
a) Current valid motor tax disc and insurance disc.
b) NCT disc – vehicles obliged to undergo the National Car Test will not be taken for test if not displaying the
appropriate disc. (You can call the NCT service on 1890 412 413 for further information).
c) ‘L’ plates front and rear (a rectangular plate or sign bearing the letter ‘L’ not less than fi fteen centimetres
high in red on a white background and a border of at least 2 centimetres). From 1st December 2007 all
provisional licence/learner permit holders for motorcycle licence category A, A1, or M, must when driving
such a vehicle display a yellow fl uorescent tabard bearing the letter ‘L’ not less than 15 centimetres high
in red on a white background, in clearly visible vertical positions front and rear worn over the chest
clothing.

10. The vehicle must be in a roadworthy condition at the time of the test and you will be asked to sign a
statement to this effect. Specifically:
a) Tyres should, upon visible inspection, comply with Road Traffi c Acts requirements (minimum tyre tread
depth requirement is currently 1.6mm for a motorcar),
b) Loads should be properly secured; loose objects inside the vehicle such as screwdrivers, knives, gas
bottles etc. must be secured before the test.
c) You may not carry passengers or pets while on the test,
d) The windscreen should be clean and free from visual obstructions, including excessive cracks. Vehicles
presenting for test with tinted front windscreen and front passenger and driver door glass will be
acceptable for test purposes only where the tinting is part of the original manufacturers build and
specifi cation i.e. the glass should be clear to the naked eye. Vehicles not meeting this criteria will result
in the test not being conducted and your fee may be forfeited.
e) The seat belt on the tester’s side should be fi tted and in good working order,
f) The passenger door on the tester’s side should be working properly and, in particular, should be possible
to open from the inside as well as the outside,
g) The suspension should not be defective,
h) The brake and indicator lights should be tested to ensure they are working efficiently. All indicator lights
should be clearly showing amber.
i) The handbrake should be in good working order,
j) Today’s vehicles are fi tted with a number of warning lamps on a dashboard that let the driver know if
certain critical safety, and performance features are not working properly. They are important safety
features and it is in the interest of the driver and road safety that all safety systems in the vehicle are
in full working order. Consequently any warning Lights indicating a malfunction or a defect, that shows
before or during the test may lead to the non-conducting/non-completion of your test. This may result
in your fee being forfeited.
k) There should be no leakage, into the vehicle, of exhaust fumes.
l) Where car seats are designed to hold head restraints, these restraints must be in place on the day of the
test,
m) As vehicles presented for a driving test are regarded as an enclosed workspace, all vehicles must be smoke
free in accordance with the Public Health (Tobacco) Act, 2004. As this Act also covers environmental
tobacco smoke, test candidates are asked not to smoke in the vehicle before the driving test,
n) Other – there may, in exceptional circumstances, be other defects that would lead a tester to conclude
on health and safety grounds that the test vehicle was not in a suffi ciently roadworthy condition to
conduct the test.

11. Test applicants must wear suitable footwear during the practical driving test. (Flip flops/beach sandals or
other backless type footwear or barefoot driving is not acceptable).

12. If you have diffi culty communicating in English, or you are deaf or hard of hearing, you can have an
interpreter/assistant with you. This person must not be your driving instructor and may not accompany you
on the practical test. Please inform Driver Testing Section before the day of your test that you will have an
interpreter/assistant with you.

If you have any query on any of these matters please contact me in advance of your test.

Credit: www.drivingtest.ie