Increase in number of L Drivers in Galway
Tuam test centre has one of best wait times
THERE were 400 more learner drivers on Galway roads at the end of March 2026 compared to the same time last year.
This is according to figures released by Irish Road Safety Authority under the Freedom of Information (FOI) to the Irish Road Haulage Association.
These figures reveal that the number of L-drivers in Galway increased from 18,470 in March 2025 to 18,870 in March 2026 (an increase of two per cent).
The average wait times for a driving test in Tuam still stands at seven weeks, which is below the 10-12 weeks wait times nationally, while the average wait times in County Galway currently stands at nine weeks.
Nationally, the number of learner permit holders on Irish roads was recorded at 388,090 at the end of March, 6,219 more than the same time last year.
President of the Irish Road Haulage Association Ger Hyland said that the numbers that the RSA is not making real progress on driver testing backlogs.
The number of learner drivers on Irish roads have more than doubled in the last five years, from 255,142 in 2020 to 388,090 in 2026.
Garda figures highlight that 101 fixed charge notices were issued in Galway by Gardaí in the first three months of 2026, to learner drivers caught driving without a fully licensed driver.
Mr Hyland noted that more than one in ten drivers on Irish roads are on a learner permit and questioned its impact on road safety.
“Road deaths are spiralling. As of June 3, Garda figures show that 73 people had lost their lives on Irish roads, six more deaths than on the same day in 2025, an already bad year for road safety,” he explained.
“This points to an increasing number of desperate young drivers taking a chance and driving unaccompanied to get to college or work in rural Ireland,” commented Mr Hyland.
The figures also show that the largest cohort of learner drivers (95,868) in Ireland are between the ages of 30-39, while there are 81,538 learner drivers between the ages of 17-20 years. There were also is 462 learner drivers nationally over 80 years of age.