Sligo-Leitrim sees 88 percent surge in unaccompanied learner drivers

There was an 88 percent increase in the number of unaccompanied learner drivers caught by Gardaí in the Sligo-Leitrim division between Q4 2023 and Q4 2024, according to figures released by the Road Safety Authority (RSA).

The figures, released to the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) under the Freedom of Information Act, also show that there are 4,929 people in Leitrim currently holding provisional licenses.

The IRHA has claimed that there were 842,260 learner drivers on Irish roads at the end of March. However, this figure is contested by the RSA, which reported a significantly lower total of 378,652 at the end of February 2025.

Describing the number of learner drivers on the road as a safety crisis, the IRHA said the increase in unaccompanied learner drivers is due to the "mismanagement of the driving test regime.”

IRHA President Ger Hyland feels this is just “the tip of the iceberg.”

The IRHA is calling for a complete rebranding of Ireland’s driving test system to include assessments of motorway driving skills, night-time driving and safe overtaking on secondary roads.

They have also proposed that driver education be incorporated in the school curriculum.

“The current 40 minute driving test allows for an approximate driving time of between 15 and 20 minutes, often in heavy urban slow moving traffic,” Mr Hyland said.

“This would be a great test of one’s ability to sit in a traffic jam, but if we are honestly testing driving skills and driver preparedness, the test as it stands is a shambolic exercise in raising funds for the RSA,” he added.

Brave Leitrim boy (8) can’t walk—but you can help him farm with a special quad

Born with a rare genetic condition, Michael Barry this just wants to explore the land he loves

Nationwide delays in driving tests have become increasingly common in recent years. In 2019, the RSA reported an average waiting time of six weeks.

Six years later, the average waiting time has risen to 24.1 weeks.

The year 2024 marked a record for the number of driving tests conducted, with a total of 253,850 completed - up from 196,853 in 2023.

An RSA spokesperson said this high volume of tests was only possible due to “the support of our testing staff through significant levels of overtime and improvements in operational efficiencies.”

To address the backlog and staff shortages, a recruitment campaign for new driver testers was launched in September of last year.

As of the end of February 2025, the RSA employed 144 permanent testers.

Further training is underway with the goal of having 200 driver testers employed by November. According to an RSA spokesperson, “as these new recruits join the service, the waiting times will reduce significantly towards the end of the year.”

Another growing concern is the number of missed appointments. In 2024, 8,500 people failed to show up for their scheduled driving test.

Figures released in March of this year from QuoteDevil revealed that approximately five applicants fail to attend their test each month at Carrick-on-Shannon test centre.

READ MORE: No fines issued in Leitrim for dog fouling in 2024 despite worsening problems