DUBLIN, Ireland: The Road Safety Authority (RSA) in Dublin has released numerous complaints from learners against driving school teachers in the city.
Some complaints stated that a driving instructor spent an entire lesson watching a movie on his cell phone, while another teacher tailgated a car, flashed the vehicle's lights, and gestured at another motorist.
The RSA said that more than 160 unhappy learner drivers had complained last year about the quality of driving lessons and instruction.
One person said their driving instructor used a racial slur, made sexual comments, and joked about "Women's Aid" after saying someone had hit his car.
In their complaint, the person said the instructor told them, "Watch that hand or I'll have a case against you," suggesting they had almost touched him inappropriately, which they strongly denied.
Another student said they received threatening text messages from an instructor who claimed he would report them for driving without insurance. The student also said another girl told them that the instructor talked about other female students' private body parts during lessons.
One resident complained that a driving instructor often parked on the footpath, blocking pedestrians. "This is who is teaching our young to drive," they wrote. "It's very worrying."
Of the 161 complaints, 46 were about instructors' behaviour, and 25 were about payments or fees. There were 21 complaints about the quality of training and another 21 about lesson routes. According to RSA records released under Freedom of Information laws, 31 students said their lessons were not properly uploaded to the online driver testing system.
Another learner said that after about 12 lessons, their instructor suddenly became rude and very angry. They claimed the instructor tried to make them drive into dangerous traffic at a T-junction.
The same person said that at the end of one lesson, they were left standing in the rain in a parking lot far from home.
Another student said they were taken onto a dual carriageway during their first lesson, even though they did not know what the car's pedals did.
One email complaint said the instructor was constantly on his phone from the first lesson and not paying attention to the road. Several other complaints also mentioned instructors using their phones too much. One person said their instructor was even watching a movie on his phone during the lesson.
Another complaint said a lesson was interrupted because the instructor said he needed a toilet break. Instead, he came back with hot food that smelled strongly of fish and chips. The student said this was very unprofessional, but continued the lesson.
In the next lesson, the same instructor arrived late and asked the student to pull into a car park. The student thought they would practise driving skills, but the instructor said he was going to get a coffee and left them alone in the car for more than 10 minutes.
One long complaint listed many problems, including the instructor telling the student to drive on the hard shoulder for a long time. The student said they were also told to drive with one hand on the wheel and given confusing, conflicting advice.
After one incident, the instructor became very angry, and the student decided to get out of the car. The complaint said that after they got out, the instructor locked the back door, preventing them from getting their phone. When they asked him to unlock it, he refused, saying, "You haven't paid me yet."
When asked about the complaints, the RSA said it had no further comment.
