Automatic Driving Lessons In North Dublin COVID 19 Update

Driving Tests

All Driving Tests are currently suspended until further notice.

Driver Theory Test (DTT)

The Driver Theory Test Service is suspended until further notice to COVID-19. The period of validity for the driver theory test certificate due to expire between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 inclusive have had that date extended by 4 months. Please see here for more information.

Candidates who have a driver theory test scheduled will be contacted to notify them that their test will be rescheduled free of charge when the service resumes. Updates around the re-starting of tests will be published on www.theorytest.ie

Prometric has advised that it will continue to provide a service in emergency cases and arrangements for this will be published on their website www.theorytest.ie

See here for frequently asked questions about COVID-19 and the Driver Theory Test.

National Driver Licence Service (NDLS)

The National Driver Licence Service (NDLS) is suspended until further notice. Driving licenses and Learner Permits due to expire between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2020 inclusive have had their date of expiry extended by 4 months. Please see here for more information.

Please see ndls.ie  for all other information relating to the National Driver Licence Service.

Drivers hours

Further temporary relaxation of EU driving and resting time rules due to COVID-19. This extension includes additional measures, which will apply from 17 April to 31 May 2020. See here

National Car Testing Service (NCTS)

The National Car Testing Service (NCT) is suspended until further notice. Vehicles with a test that was or will be due on or after 28 March 2020 have that test date extended by 4 months. Please see here for more information.

Please see here for more information on the suspension of the NCTS.

Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC)

Due to the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 crisis and in order to ensure a continuous flow of goods within the EU, drivers with valid Irish Driver CPC cards that are due to expire during the current Covid 19 outbreak will be granted an extension of a maximum of six months up to the 26th September 2020.  The RSA will adopt some discretion for cards that expired from week commencing the 9th of March but not before. This is not an amnesty for drivers who did not take training and allowed their CPC cards to expire. Please see here for more details.

Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Testing (CVRT)

The Commercial Vehicle Testing System is suspended until further notice.  Vehicles with a test that was or will be due on or after 28 March have that test date extended by 3 months. Please see here for more information.

Commercial vehicle owners have the responsibility to ensure their vehicle(s) are maintained in a roadworthy condition when used on a public road. Further information on vehicle maintenance can be found here. 

Tachograph Card Applications

The RSA are continuing to process Tachograph card applications without any current delays. Our processing team are working remotely which may result in delays going forward, but we will endeavour to keep any delays to a minimum. To assist with this, it is vital that all applications for driver cards are correctly completed and all requested supporting documentation being supplied is in order. The RSA recommends that applicants use the on-line digital tachograph system apply here rather than the traditional paper-based application forms.

Education Services

The following RSA education services have been suspended until further notice

• The Check it fits , see here for more information
• The National Road Safety Education Service
• The Interactive Road Safety Shuttle
• Roll Over Simulator

The RSA refers you to the HSE Coronavirus- COVID-19 Public Health Advice and Guidance as per the following link; https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html 

Published by The RSA

Automatic Driving Lessons In North Dublin Car Hire

On your driving test, it is important to bring a car with you as the RSA does not supply the car. If you have your own car, great, if not, you may need to hire or borrow a car. If you borrow a car, always check the details in the window such as tax, NCT and insurance. If any of these discs in the window is out of date, your test will be terminated, and you will lose the 85 Euro you paid for the test. The examiner will cross-reference the registration number on the disc to the registration number on the car. The examiners are very experienced and trying to trick them simply will not work. When you borrow a car from a parent or friend, you will need to buy insurance. Some insurance companies may give you 24 hour cover for a small fee as a second driver and other companies will not. If you do not get insurance cover and attempt to drive your driving test and there is an incident, you would be liable and this could cost you thousands of Euro. You would have to pay damages for the car you’re driving, the examiner’s injuries if any and if you damage another vehicle you would have to pay for that too. The worst part about this would be the massive fine or imprisonment you would receive from the Garda. This simply is not worth the risk.

If you are doing your driving test, you would have completed your EDT Lessons with a driving school. Most driving schools would let you rent the car to complete your driving test. Usually, after your 12 EDT Lessons, you would be a competent driver and your instructor would be happy to hire you their car. If an instructor does not know you, you would be asked to complete at least a 1-hour pretest. This pretest would allow your instructor to see how capable you are at driving and this will determine whether you could rent the instructors car. The cars we driving instructors use are our livelihood so if you could not perform simple driving tasks, the instructor will not let you hire the car without more lessons. Usually, after plenty of practice, you would be more competent and maybe the instructors would change their mind.

If you use an instructors car, you probably have completed your EDT Lessons in this car. This gives you a high advantage as you are familiar with all the controls and you would feel comfortable driving this car. Also in an instructors car, you would be fully insured and the examiner would also have a brake pedal, to assist you if needed. Always try to use the car you have learned how to drive in. Changing cars regularly will simply confuse you and make your learning experience more difficult.

Knowing the car you will be doing your driving test in is so important. Always do pretests before sitting your driving test as simple things could trip you up and this could have an effect on your confidence. Being confident is the best way to pass your driving test and the only way you can be confident is by knowing all the controls and rehearsing all the questions the examiner could ask.

Without preparation, you will find your driving test very difficult. You need to cover everything over and over again so it is natural. The harder you train yourself you do the right things at the right time the easier you will find your driving test.

Electric Car Driving Lessons Dublin

Its no secret, electric cars are the future of driving. The old way of generating energy is slowly dying off and newer cleaner ways of energy are being produced. The old way of mining for fossil fuels like oil and gas are having a detrimental effect on our planet. We see this all too often on the news where there are massive oil spills off-shore and our oceans and wildlife are being poisoned. Big disasters like these cannot keep happening or we will destroy our planet once and for all.

Once we have our oil, we then create petrol and diesel. Burning these fuels to power our cars, we are polluting our clean air and producing greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases create a thick layer at the top of our atmosphere which trap heat into our planet the same way a greenhouse would. When our sun heats our Earth, the heat has no way of escaping and this heat is trapped which is the cause of global warming. Global warming is the main reason behind our Polar Ice Caps melting. As these ice caps melt, all the animals that have adapted over centuries to live there are losing their habitat

. The more these ice caps melt the higher our sea levels rise and all low land will eventually be unlivable because of floods. This will ruin millions of cities and lives as whole cities will have to rebuild inland. This will gradually destroy our sea as more and more rubbish will be sucked into our oceans.

So what can we do? We can start by making small changes every day to help combat the burning of fossil fuels. We can choose to walk or cycle places that are not too far away. We can use public transport instead of driving our car. This will also help you save money on fuel. We can buy fewer process foods with all the extra packaging. Creating all these processed foods and packaging create too much pollution and if we stop buying these products we can help.

This is why people are turning to greener sources of energy. Electric cars do not produce any exhaust fumes as they do not burn any fuel to power them. Electric cars are powered by electricity and they work on the same principle as your mobile phone.

Plug your car into a charging portal rather than filling the car with petrol or diesel. Electric cars are really smooth to drive and electric cars come with automatic gearboxes. The old way of driving will be obsolete soon and struggling to find gears and pressing the clutch down will be gone. Automatic gearboxes have less wear and tear and this saves you costly repairs and damaged gearboxes. Electric cars have no clutch or gearbox whatsoever. The car is powered by a big 16KW battery, and they simply drive and stop.

It’s easy to see why electric cars are the future after you drive one. They are so much easier to drive and they are more reliable than the old engine. There are fewer components in the electric that could potentially go wrong. All this means is fewer breakdowns, fewer trips to see your mechanic and all this combines saves you money in the future.

We can all do our part to help our planet. Start small with the little everyday jobs like walking or cycling and keep building on your progress and eventually you will see your self wanting to drive electric. Every little helps, play your part today.

Automatic Driving Lessons in North Dublin Blindspots

When we are driving, mirrors are a great tool to see who or what is behind you. This could be a number of different road users such as cyclists coming up on the inside, a speeding driver overtaking erratically or motorcyclists coming through the middle of traffic. You really don’t know what to expect so it is important to always check your mirrors. There are certain areas of the car your mirrors cannot see and they are called blind-spots. Blind-spots are the areas the mirrors can’t see or the pillars of the car obscure your vision.

The first blindspot we will cover is out the driver’s window. As you can in the diagram, the lady turns her head and looks out the window. Without this final check, she could potentially not see the motorcycle and pull out into him. It is important to look out the window and examine what is around you as a quick glance will not be effective and you won’t see the whole picture. Really acknowledge your surrounds as the extra second could be the difference of you seeing a cyclist or not. When checking your blind-spot, you are also checking for pedestrians on the far footpath, pedestrians crossing the road from the far footpath onto your side of the road, cyclists coming up the outside or even small pets that could run across the road. There is so many potential hazards that you need to be aware of. So take a good look around, take in all your surroundings and move off if safe to do so.

Another blind-spot check is out your passenger side window. This check is similar to the previous check and you must take a good look out the passenger side window. Again, this check allows you to see who or what is on the footpath. Again this could range from children playing, pedestrians wanting to cross the road in front of your car or small pets running under the wheels. Take in all your surroundings and act in the safest way possible.

Other blind-spots to look out for are the areas behind the car’s pillars. As you can see from the diagram, these are the dark grey areas. When you are driving forward, the front 2 blind-spot areas can be detrimental to other road users. If when you are driving, you are not paying full attention and observing all around you, motorcyclists and cyclists can go unseen. Especially when driving to a junction, if you are not looking all around and examining the area, a quick glance could tell you the coast is clear but there could be someone in your blindspot and you could keep driving and cause an accident. I have seen this so many times and proper observation coming onto every new road is vital. Other blind-spots are to the side and bottom corners of the car. When you are reversing, take extra care as there are many more blind areas. Everything from under the back window to the view behind the pillars is unseen. If you are about to reverse out of a parking spot always look behind your car before you get into the driver’s seat. Anything could be hidden behind your car such as glass bottles to animals to anything. Having a good look could save you damaging your car or injuring a pedestrian.

Observation is so important when you are driving. Observation helps you read traffic situations ahead and also helps you read all situations safely.

Automatic Driving Lessons North Dublin Alertness

When you are driving, being alert and ready is key in getting you to your destination safely. There are so many possible distractions nowadays and it is so important to train yourself to not get easily distracted when you are driving. The biggest distraction for drivers is the mobile phone. Despite the fact that using them when driving is killing people on Irish roads, rational, intelligent people continue to text, make phone calls, take selfies or update their social pages while driving.
Making a call will make you four times more likely to crash. Texting: a staggering twenty-three times more likely. Research published by the RSA in 2015 showed that your mobile phone makes you 4 times more likely to crash. Driving while holding a mobile phone incurs three penalty points and a €60 fine in the first 28 days, which goes up to 5 points at the conviction and €90 if not paid in the first 28 days. The Gardai have enforced strict rules on mobile phone use as they are distracting to drivers.

There are many possible distractions when you are driving and tiredness or fatigue is a real issue. Fatigue is the physical and mental impairment brought about by inadequate rest over a period of time. Ideally, people need 7/8 hours’ sleep every night. Drivers suffering from a sleep debt are at risk of ‘nodding off’ whilst driving and substantially increasing their risk of being involved in a crash. It is estimated that driver fatigue is a contributory factor in as many as 1 in 5 driver deaths in Ireland every year. Furthermore, tiredness-related collisions are 3 times more likely to be fatal or result in a serious injury because of the high impact speed and lack of avoiding action. A survey of drivers’ attitudes to driver fatigue conducted by the RSA in 2014 revealed that over 1 in 10 motorists has fallen asleep at the wheel.  The survey also found that motorists who drive as part of their work, and motorists who admit to driving after taking any amount of alcohol, had a higher than average incidence of falling asleep at the wheel (almost 1 in 5 fell asleep at the wheel).

The RSA has the following advice for tired drivers:

• Stop, park in a safe place and take a nap for 15 minutes (set your mobile phone alarm). This is the most important tactic.
• To really make the most of the break, take a caffeine drink before the nap (150mg of caffeine e.g. 2 cups of coffee). After the nap, the caffeine should have started to take effect.
• Then get some fresh air and stretch your legs for a few minutes.
• By following all of the above advice you should be able to drive for another hour or so.

Using mobile and phones and tiredness are 2 the biggest factors in road traffic incidents in Ireland. There are so many other distractions like daydreaming, having friends in the car and of course alcohol. It is important when you are driving that you concentrate at all times. Always focusing on the roads ahead and not following the car in front of you. Following the car in front of you, without looking ahead to see what other road users are doing can lead in all types of driving errors such as breaking traffic lights or stopping in yellow boxes and blocking junctions. Mistakes like these are really embarrassing and could result in penalty points and fines.

Being alert and focused is key to being a safe and competent driver. Switch off the mobile phone, get plenty of rest and focus on the tasks ahead.

Automatic Driving Lessons In Raheny Reliable First Cars

Buying your first car is a big responsibility and there are a lot of brands to choose from. In my list today, I will offer, in my opinion, 4 good, high quality, reliable cars that come at a reasonable price. This list is very important as it gives you an insight into what cars are good value for your hard-earned money. A lot of people will suggest to you that the Ford Fiesta or the VW Polo are great cars for learning how to drive, but in my opinion, these cars are not as reliable as the Japanese models. The Fiesta and Polo, from my experience, are not built as well. Although they are probably nicer to look at, they tend to need more work done on them after a certain amount of miles. The Japanese cars, on the other hand, feel like they would go forever as reliability is more important than looks. Here are my top 4 choices:

The Nissan Micra- In my opinion, the Nissan Micra is the best car for learning how to drive. They are built to last and seem like they could go forever. Although they are not the prettiest, you can rely on your Micra to get you from A to B every time.

Kia Rio- Kia is leading the way for reliability right now. They are so confident in their product that they offer a 7-year warranty when you buy the car from new. If you buy a used Kia, Kia will carry on this warranty to the next owner, once the car has been serviced annually by a Kia dealership. A South Korean company, again like the Japanese brands, looks comes second to reliability. The Kia offers exceptional value as they are a lot cheaper than the VW Polo and Fiesta and a lot more reliable.

Hyundai i10- The Hyundai i10 is another underappreciated first-time driver car. Again, like the Kia, Hyundai is a car company based in South Korea. The i10 is a nice looking and reliable engine and great value for money. One of the lesson cars at our driving school is the i20 and it is smooth to drive. The car controls nicely with a smooth gearbox. I would recommend the newer Hyundai as it is a nice car to drive.

Suzuki Swift- The Suzuki Swift is another car that doesn’t get recognised for being reliable. After Toyota, Suzuki is one of the biggest car manufacturers in Japan and a lot of the population in Japan rely on their Suzuki to get them from A to B. I have the Suzuki Swift in 4th position as they are more expensive than the other models above. The Suzuki Swift is a high-quality car for learning how to drive. It is by far, the best looking and it packs a little more of a punch. I would highly recommend the Swift if your budget allows you to.

The list above is my opinion on 4 quality cars, perfect for your first car. They are reliable but more importantly affordable. Yes, I could of place the Toyota Yaris in first position but they are between 3 and 5 thousand euro more expensive. Same as the Polo and Fiesta, they are most peoples”go to” cars for new drivers. From my experience, these cars win all day

Automatic Driving Lessons North Dublin Best Cars For New Drivers

So you have passed your driving test, now the fun part is picking your car and buying it. Unless you know what you’re talking about, it can be a daunting experience. Usually, we will ask our parents, uncle, neighbours or whoever might literally just own a car and we use their guidance. Although these people mean the best, they generally don’t know what they are looking for either and it is a guessing game for them. If they guess right, great but if they guess wrong it could cost you money. Ideally, when you pay out all that money on your first car and pay your insurance, all you really want to be doing is putting petrol into your car.

When buying your first car, say from a private seller, it is important to ask all the questions before you see the car. Questions could include “does the car have a valid NCT and for how long?” “Does the car have any service history?” or “what is the mileage?” A phone call could save you a pointless trip to anywhere. When you make the call, beware that some sellers are trying to sell a problem so they will not volunteer information about certain issues. So you see the car, the car looks ok at a glance, now it is time to have a good hard look at the outside of the car. You are looking at the wheels, tyres, paintwork all over the car, front and back bumper to see if they were impacted and for general marks on the car.

If you are happy with what you see, open the bonnet. Check all the fluid levels are topped up, If the add says “recently serviced” and all the fluid levels are low and the oil is black, the seller has lied and I personally would walk away. Anyway, all looks good, time to start the engine. You are looking for a nice smooth start. Once the engine is started, let the engine “tick over.” This is when you listen. You are listening for the engine revving up and down without pressing a pedal, clanking or banging noises. If all sounds good you could be ok.

Now if the car has an NCT, the NCT gives a brief explanation of what the car failed on or advisors that should be repaired now but the car still passed the test. If on the NCT sheet there are lots of advisories, simply ask the seller if they have been repaired. If they have not been repaired you will potentially have to get these issues fixed soon. The advisories could range from tyres to bulbs etc. If you really like the car this a great bargaining tool as you can ask to drop money from the asking price.

If all that looks good, jump into the driver’s seat and take the car for a drive. While you are doing this, the person you brought along needs to be looking at the electrics. These range from radio, side windows, air-con while you are checking the indicators, lights, windscreen wipers and so on.

When you are driving the car, feel how sharp the clutch feels, feel how easily the car goes into gear, feel the brakes and how reactive they are and listen to the revs on the engine when you are driving. If the revs are shooting up and it doesn’t match the pressure you are putting on the accelerator, this could be problematic for you. If the gears grind and don’t slip in easily, again alarm bells. There are so many potential issues and the car will tell you if you listen to what is happening and feel what is happening.

If you are unsure, do not buy the car. Tell the seller you need a second opinion and ask a mechanic to look at it for you. This could cost you 50 euro but it will be the best 50 euro you will spend.

Automatic Driving Lessons In North Dublin The Theory Test Book

Booking your Theory Test is the first step in your driving journey. You can book your Theory Test on dtt.ie or call 1890 606 106 and follow the directions. Usually, when you are booking your exam you will need a credit/debit card and your PPS number. There is a 45 euro fee for the exam.

Once you have your date. it is very important that you study the Official Driver Theory Test book. This book has all the answers you will need to pass your test with ease. The Official Driver Theory Test book is separated into different segments.

First, when you open your book you will be informed on how the questions are asked and they show you a few mock questions. After these questions, you will start off slow with some simple road signs such as:

        “What does this sign mean?”

There are many road signs on Irish roads and knowing them is very important so that you know and obey the rules on each particular road.

After you complete all the road signs, you will be introduced to hand signals. Understanding hand signals allow you to read what other road users intend on doing. These other road users could be anyone from cyclists, An Gardai, construction sites where the traffic measures are in place

The above diagram shows 4 hand signals a Garda could possibly use. Learning these now is important as hand signals are asked on the day of your test. Practice them with a family member and get used to using them. Hand signals can warn other road users of your intension if you ever have a faulty indicator or brake lights.

After these hand signals the book goes into road markings. Road markings are usually indications of the rules on that particular road at the point in the road you are at. Road markings range from signal white line in the middle of the road to directional arrows at roundabouts. Knowing your road markings is vital in keeping you safe on Irish roads.

In the diagram above, there are 3 types of road marking. Most road markings all mean something different and knowing and obeying them keeps you safe.

When you are studying the Theory Test book, study these images and get to know them as they are a big piece of the Theory Test. The book after all these diagrams goes into more detailed questions. The questions range from speed limits on particular roads to regulations regarding pedestrians.

When you get past these questions, you now enter the stage of “alert driving and consideration for other road users” At this stage of the book you will be shown a diagram of possible scenarios where you are driving a car and looking through your windscreen. The scenarios could be asking you “who has right of way?” or “what should you be aware of here?” Knowing your road signs helps here as in the diagram you could notice a yield sign which could help you answer the question.

Knowing your road signs and learning the section on “alert driving and consideration for other road users” is a big part of The Theory Test. Knowing all these also puts you in a great position for your driving lessons and you will be aware of the rules on the road as you drive on them.

Learn the book in sections and read some every day. Take your time, study and you will pass the test with ease.

Reverse Around The Corner-Automatic Driving Lessons In North Dublin

Reversing around the corner is one of the 3 manoeuvres you will be asked to complete in your driving test. The other manoeuvers are hill start and turnabout. Reversing around the corner can be challenging when you are learning how to drive as the car behaves differently in reverse. Looking at the diagram above, you see the car will be reversing left around the corner. The car behaves differently because now the wheels you use to steer are at the back of the car rather than at the front of the car. (when driving forwards the steering wheels are at the front of the car) With the wheels at the back of the car, the car will take an extra millisecond to react. When you are reversing around to the left, the front of your car will swing out to the right before following the back of your car around the corner. (see diagram below)

When we are reversing around the corner, observation is so important as your vision is not as clear as to driving forwards. When we are pulled up on the left, try to make sure your car is parked in a straight line with your wheels straight. Before you do anything, make sure you take a good look around to see that there are no cars driving up towards you or that there are no pedestrians around. If the way is clear, select reverse gear, take a good look around, checking blind spots and your mirrors. If the way is clear, reverse the car in a straight line until the back wheels reach the bend in the road. When reversing back in a straight line always look out your back window as you must be looking out the window the direction your car is travelling. When you reach the bend in the road, using all your mirrors, before you turn your steering wheel, take a good look over your right shoulder. This blind spot check is so important and the examiner will be looking out for this check. If the way is clear, turn your steering wheel anticlockwise, about a quarter of a steer. Using your left wing mirror, judge how far away from the path you are. If your car is out too far, give the steering wheel another quarter of a steer. Always remember your car takes an extra second to react so when you steer allow your car time to adjust. Many people here tend to see no difference in their position and start to over-steer at this point. Over-steering at this point will bring you too close to the path that is way allowing the car to adjust is very important.

Once you feel like your car is around the bend, unlock your steering wheel so that the front of your car straightens up and keep reversing backwards until the examiner says stop. It is important to keep your car reversing bank in a straight line to show your examiner you are in complete control.

In your driving lessons, you will get plenty of practice on this manoeuvre and after some time you will find it easier. Always remember that when you are reversing, observation is key. If another car or pedestrian comes towards you, stop your car immediately and let them pass. Failure to do this will be an automatic fail on your driving test.

Automatic Driving Lessons in North Dublin – Hand Signals

Hand signals are another aspect of the driving test. Learning these is important as you want to give yourself the best possible chance when you are driving. Not knowing your hand signals will get you 1 grade 2 fault. ( Blue section on the marking sheet ) This one mark could be the difference in you passing your test. Once learned, they are easy to remember as long as you keep refreshing in your head.

On the diagram above, you see the same signal for both car drivers and cyclists. As the driver, you should carefully bring your right hand and arm out of the car window, holding your arm straight out with thumb facing up. Always check your mirrors before using hand signals as unexpected vehicles coming up from behind could cause serious injury if they were to connect with your arm.

The second signal on the diagram is turning left. Cyclists raise their left arm to turn left but as drivers, this would not be effective. Instead, we drivers bring our right arm out the window and we rotate our hand anti-clockwise. This warns other road users from behind that we intend on turning left.

The third signal on our diagram is slowing down or stopping. Cyclists and drivers use the same signal. We again bring our right arm out of our right window, palm facing down and slowly raise our hand up and down in a gentle motion. This warns other road users from behind that we intend on slowing or stopping.

The last 3 diagrams we covered are to warn the other road users behind us our intension. The next 3 diagrams are to show other road users in front of us our intension. The first diagram displays turning right. Turning right is the same from behind as it is from the front. Simply bring your right arm out the window and hold your arm out straight with your thumb pointing up.

The second diagram is for turning left. As drivers, we bring our right arm across our chest and point out to the left with our thumb pointing up. This way is more effective to show other road users in front of us our intention.

The third diagram shows us the hand signal for continuing straight ahead. This simply is raising your left hand up, with your fingers pointing up and showing the palm of your hand.

These are some basic hand signals that will be asked on your driving test. Hand signals would normally be used if you knew you had an indicator bulb not functioning or your brake lights were not working. Always remember to check your mirrors before you bring your arm outside of the vehicle as it could result in serious injury.