What New Drivers in Ireland Aren't Taught — But Should Be
Ireland's EDT and driving test cover the basics — but there are significant gaps between 'legal to drive' and 'genuinely safe driver'. Here are the skills and knowledge you were never formally given.
Motorway Driving
Learned on the day you first drive on one — alone.
The EDT and practical test cover local roads, junctions, roundabouts and residential areas. Motorway joining procedure, lane discipline, high-speed overtaking, variable speed limits and motorway breakdown procedure are taught nowhere in the standard licence process.
Night Driving
Officially in EDT — rarely given adequate time in practice.
Night driving is listed as an EDT topic, but in practice many learners complete only one or two night lessons — and often in well-lit urban areas rather than on dark rural roads where the risks are highest. The practical driving test is almost always conducted during daylight hours.
What Night Driving Adds
- Reduced visibility: Your available hazard detection distance drops to your headlight range — typically 50–100 metres on dipped beam. You must be able to stop within that distance.
- Dazzle from oncoming lights: Look toward the left edge of the road, not at oncoming headlights. Don't dip your eyes downward.
- Fatigue: Night driving, especially late at night, is when driver fatigue is most dangerous. Know the signs and pull over.
- Overdriving your headlights: Driving at 100 km/h on dipped beams means you need 55 metres to stop — but you may only see 50 metres ahead. Slow down.
What to Practice
- Rural road driving after dark — unmarked roads, dark junctions, unexpected hazards (animals, cyclists without lights)
- Main beam use and dipping — early and consistently for oncoming traffic
- Recognising and managing glare fatigue on long journeys
- Using the road's painted lines and cats eyes as reference when visibility is poor
Driving in Bad Weather
Rain, fog, ice and flooding — the Irish driving conditions nobody formally teaches.
Rain — the Most Common Risk
- Wet roads can double your braking distance — increase following distance to minimum 4 seconds
- Aquaplaning occurs when tyre tread cannot disperse water fast enough — the tyre rides on a layer of water with no grip. If you aquaplane: do not brake, do not steer sharply — ease off the accelerator and wait for grip to return
- Standing water after heavy rain is unpredictable in depth — slow right down before entering any water crossing
- Dipped headlights on in heavy rain — not just for your visibility, but so others can see you
Ice and Frost
- Black ice is invisible — if the road surface appears slightly wet but your wipers are dry, suspect ice
- Braking distance on ice can be 10 times longer than dry conditions
- Gentle, progressive inputs — braking, accelerating and steering. Sudden inputs cause loss of control
- Use the highest gear possible at low speeds to minimise wheelspin
- If you skid on ice: do not brake. Steer gently in the direction you want to go and wait for the tyres to regain grip
Fog
- Use dipped headlights in fog — main beam reflects off fog droplets and reduces visibility
- Use rear fog lights when visibility drops below 100 metres — switch them off above this
- Increase following distance significantly — the car ahead may stop suddenly
- Your speed must allow you to stop within the distance you can see
Strong Crosswinds
- On motorways and exposed national roads, sudden crosswinds can move a vehicle significantly sideways
- Vulnerable: high-sided vehicles, caravans, motorcycles, light vans
- Reduce speed in strong wind warnings and maintain a firm, two-handed grip on the wheel
- Be especially alert emerging from a bridge or gap in trees where the full force of wind hits suddenly
Skid Awareness and Recovery
Most drivers don't know what to do until it's too late to do it.
Front-Wheel Skid (Understeer)
- The car continues straight despite turning the wheel — the front tyres have lost grip
- Response: Ease off the throttle. Reduce steering input slightly (straighten the wheel). Allow the tyres to regain grip. Don't brake hard.
- Caused by: entering a corner too fast, braking while turning
Rear-Wheel Skid (Oversteer)
- The rear of the car slides outward — the car rotates
- Response: Steer gently into the skid (if the rear goes right, steer right). Ease off throttle smoothly. Avoid sudden braking.
- More common in rear-wheel-drive vehicles and in high-power front-wheel-drive cars under acceleration
- ESP systems automatically correct mild oversteer — but severe oversteer can still overwhelm them
Fatigue and Long Journeys
Tiredness kills — and drivers are the last to recognise it in themselves.
What Advanced Driving Adds
From legal to excellent — the difference between passing a test and driving well.
Advanced driving — based on the Roadcraft system used by police drivers — teaches drivers to use a systematic approach to every hazard: information, position, speed, gear, acceleration. It converts reactive driving (responding to what's already happened) into proactive driving (planning for what is about to happen).
What Advanced Drivers Do Differently
- They read the road further ahead — identifying hazards at a distance rather than at arrival
- They use smooth, progressive braking to load the front tyres progressively rather than emergency braking
- They use commentary driving to maintain constant awareness of their own situation
- They position the vehicle early and correctly for every hazard — making their intentions clear and giving maximum visibility
- They manage speed proactively — rarely needing to brake hard because they've already accounted for hazards
Where to Learn
- Smart Driving Academy offers advanced driving coaching based on the IPSGA system
- IAM RoadSmart Ireland (a not-for-profit organisation) runs observed drives and advanced tests
- Refresher and skills development sessions with any experienced ADI
- The IPSGA guide on this website gives a complete introduction to the system
Ready to go beyond the test?
Smart Driving Academy's skills development and advanced training sessions address exactly the gaps in standard Irish driver training — motorways, bad weather, night driving and IPSGA.
Official Sources & References
- 📘 Roadcraft — The Police Driver's Handbook (NPIA)
- 📋 RSA — Driver Fatigue
- 📊 RSA — Annual Road Collision Facts