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'Smelly tester' among complaints lodged by people who failed driving tests

'Smelly tester' among complaints lodged by people who failed driving tests

Failure to conduct tests in Irish and smelly testers are among the complaints lodged by people who failed their driving test last year.

The Road Safety Authority received over 1,700 complaints in 2018, according to the Irish Times.

One failed applicant in the midlands said a driving tester “smelt quite intensely” and also complained that the tester was “very intimidating”.

Statistics show that Raheny Test Centre in Dublin was the most difficult location to pass a test last year with a 38.7% pass rate while Clifden in Co Galway has a 72% pass rate.

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Nadine George from Ladybird Driving School in Dublin says it is often not the tester's fault.

"I don't really blame the testers," she said.

"They're trained to a very high standard. It's not an easy process to get through to become a driving tester.

"What happens with a lot of people in the beginning, I don't think they prepare enough for the exam beforehand."

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