Disclaimer: The issuer of these notes takes no responsibility for any accidents that may occur as a result of these general notes on driving.

Basic things to know for your Driving Test:

Before the drive on the road:

• Bring your Learner Permit and the letter you received from the Department of Transport, stating the date & time of your driving test, with you for inspection by the driving tester.

• Show up about 15 / 20 minutes before the test to park your car to your liking in the center's car park. Then walk into the test center waiting room if you are able. Wheelchair bound people are allowed wait in their car until the tester is called out to them.
  
  
• Before you go out in your car for the 'on the road' part of the test you will be asked a few theory questions and road signs. You will also have to sign a form stating that your car is roadworthy and that you are insured to drive it. Your Learner Permit will be checked in the office.
  
  
• Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy for the test. When the tester goes to your car the tester will check the insurance disc, motor tax disc and NCT discs, (the latter if appropriate), on the car windscreen. The tester will then check the tyres, indicators (back and front) and break lights on your vehicle.
  
  
• There must be an L-Sign on the car front and rear - i.e. L in red with a white background.
  
  
• One is likely to be asked to show how the secondary controls in one's car work, before one leaves the test centre. These secondary controls are the wipers, all lights, air conditioning controls, back window heats, etc. One should therefore know how to demonstrate the operation of the controls.
  
  
• One may be asked to show how a check would be performed on the engine's Coolant level, the car's Steering (via the Steering fluid level or electronic dashlight, and/or by driving feel), the engines Brakes (via the Brake fluid level), the engines oil level, the windscreen wash fluid level, the condition of the tyres and / or the cars reflectors.

On The Road:

• Drive approximately mid-way between the white center lineand the edge of the road.
  
  
• Give clearance of approximately one door's width ONLY to parked cars when passing them.
  
  
• Always look (i.e. a quick glance) in the mirrors at regular intervals (e.g. every 12-15 seconds) when travelling straight along the road.
  
  
• Always keep within 45 Centimeter's (or 1.5 feet) of the kerb or edge of the road when pulling in to stop at the side of the road to do a turnabout, hill start and the reverse around a corner. Be within 45 Centimeter's of the kerb and parallel to the Kerb when finished the reversing around the corner also.
  
  
• When pulling off from a the hill start, at the start of the turnabout (1st point only) and after reversing around a corner always remember to check your mirrors, signal and look over your right shoulder (to check your blind spot) before taking off from the side of the road.
  
  
• Give right of way to pedestrians waiting to cross at pedestrian crossings, zebra crossings or if they have started to cross at a junction one is turning into.
  
  
• For any left / right turn on the road always look (i.e. a quick glance) your mirrors (M), signal (S) and take up your position if safe to do so in good time. For left turns stay as close as possible to the kerb. Do not swing wide. For right turns go to the centre of the road/junction before turning the steering wheel.Check your wing mirror (M) again just before the manouvre (M) is done.
  
  
• Be travelling in second gear, off the clutch, coming up to a roundabout or left / right turn. If one has to stop 1st gear should be chosen until it is safe to go.
  
  
• One should ideally try to stop the car in second gear at a red traffic light, at a stop sign or on the side of the road. In an emergency just STOP in any gear!!!
  
  

• For a stop sign, stop and put the car into 1st gear - ready to go when safe.
  
  
• For a red traffic light the handbrake should be on until the green light comes on. Then take off in first gear. (Leave the car in first gear at a red light if one is near the front of the queue, otherwise neutral, N, may be chosen).
  
  
• On the test route one is required to demonstrate hand signals in the car for going left, right and straight ahead to a pointsman (e.g. a garda) and to following traffic. Also one will be required to reverse around a corner, do a turnabout on the road and a hill start.

• Never beckon anyone on during the test. It is not a safe thing to do
  
  
• If you are clearly beckoned on by someone else, you should go only if it is safe for you to go. In other words look before you leap.
  
  
• Always drive SAFELY!!!. - GOOD LUCK.

During your test when driving on the road focus and concentrate completely on your driving, not on the driving tester examining your driving. Listen carefully to each instruction for every individual task the tester sets you. Follow that instruction as best you can doing the task. Then forget that task as soon as you have it completed, whether you thought you did it well or not. Try not to loose the plot, i.e. passing your driving test!!!

QUESTIONS

N.B. This is not an exhaustive list of questions that could be asked. It is only a sample of the type of question that can be asked and answer that may be given. The book ' Rules of the Road ' should be read, studied and understood fully for the driving test and thereafter.

” 18 questions, including 10 sign questions must be asked.

Obligatory subjects for all categories: Pedestrian Crossings, Traffic Lights, Headlights (Dipping), Road Markings, Right of Way and Road Signs.

Further question on additional topics from the Rules of the Raod  may also be asked”

  -   taken from Road  Safety Authority ‘Standard procedures for conducting the driving test’ booklet used by their driving testers.

1. When can you overtake on the left?

2. At a junction with roads of equal importance to whom should you give way?

3. At a STOP sign which has no white line where would you stop?

4. What position would you take up for a right turn in a one way street?

5. How would you know a Zebra crossing at night?

6. What does the island in the centre of a pedestrian crossing mean?

7. Name the restrictions in relation to the use of the horn?

8. When driving at night when should you dip your headlights?

9. What should you do if you are dazzled by the lights of an oncoming vehicle?

10. What is a Clearway?

11. What does a broken yellow line mean?

12. What does a single yellow line mean?

13. What do a double yellow line mean?

14. What is the legal parking distance from the Kerb?

15. How close to a junction can you park?

16. Where should you not park?

17. Where should you not overtake?

18. What is the safe distance to drive from the car in front of you?

19. If you saw a red triangle on the road what would it mean?

20. At a junction when traffic lights are not working to whom would you give right of way?

21. What does a green traffic light mean?

22. What does an amber traffic light mean?

23. Name three people in authority for whom you must stop?

24. Describe the road markings for NO ENTRY?

25. When can you cross a continuous white line?

26. (a). What is the national general speed limit? (b). What is the Motorway speed limit? (C.) What is the acceptable tyre thread depth?

27. What rules apply to a box junction?

28. If there are two parallel lines in the centre of the road, one continuous and one broken, which one would you obey?

29. What do two broken parallel lines in the centre of the road mean?

30. What does a broken white line in the centre of the road mean?

31. What do white horizontal lines in the centre of the road mean?

32. Why is a STOP sign octagonal and a YIELD sign triangular (inverted)?

33. What is Aquaplaning?

34. On a Motorway what lane should one generally drive in?

ANSWERS

1. When the driver in front of you is turning right, when you intend to turn left, when the vehicles in the lane on your right are moving slower than the vehicles in your lane in queueing traffic?

2. Traffic on the right and traffic already turning.

3. At the STOP sign.

4. The extreme right and lane.

5. By the yellow flashing beacons.

6. Each side of the island is a separate crossing.

7. It must not be used between the hours of 11.30p.m. and 7.00a.m. in a built up area, except in an emergency.

8. (a) When meeting on-coming traffic. (b) When following close behind another vehicle. (c). On continuously well lit roads. (d.) At the beginning and end of lighting up hours, i.e. dawn and dusk. (e). Or in fog or snow. (f). Approaching a Junction.

9. Slow down and stop if necessary.

10. Stopping and parking is prohibited, (except by buses or taxis) for a period indicated on the sign.

11. A broken yellow line means the edge of the roadway, (hard shoulder).

12. No parking at certain times, (generally during working hours).

13. No parking at anytime.

14. 45 centimeters.

15. 5 Metres.

16. Near a bend, the brow of a hill, a humpback bridge, at a continuous white line, where your vehicle would obstruct a sign, at an entrance, at a bus stop, opposite another vehicle on a narrow road or a taxi rank.

17. At a bend, a junction, the brow of a hill, a humpback bridge, at a continuous white line or anywhere your view of oncoming traffic is restricted.

18. Allow 1 metre for each M.P.H. (mile per hour), double that for wet roads, four times that for icy roads or observe the " two second rule".

19. That there is an obstruction on the road ahead.

20. Traffic on the right and traffic already turning.

21. Go, providing the junction is clear.

22. Stop, unless you are too close to stop safely behind the white line.

23. A Garda, a school warden or a person in charge of animals.

24. A continuous white line with a broken line behind it.

25. To avoid an obstruction, for access, or if there is a broken white line on your side of the continuous white line.

26. (a). 100 K.P.H. for cars. (b). 120 K.P.H. (c) 1.6mm Min.

27. You must not enter unless your way ahead is clear with the exception of turning right, when you can enter and wait in the box if you are not obstructing other traffic.

28. You obey the line on your side of the road.

29. There will be one or two continuous white lines ahead.

30. You may overtake if it is safe to do so.

31. You treat them like a traffic island, you do not enter (this ghost island).

32. To be able to recognise them in snow conditions.

33. It is when a film of water builds up between the tyres and the road and ones steering and braking is affected.

34. The left hand lane, unless one is overtaking other traffic, not going in the direction

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