AN IRISHMAN who had been driving on a provisional licence for 40 years decided to take his full test on TV, but sadly failed.
64-year-old Denis Murray became one of the first people ever to take their driving test on camera, a move which probably didn't help his nerves.
The Dun Laoghaire man was being filmed as part of RTE's new show The Test, which follows the fortunes of a number of drivers trying to get their full licences.
Denis, who apparently ran a red light and continually applied the handbrake before the car came to a complete stop, said he was hugely disappointed with his performance.
"I thought I had a good chance. Whatever happened to me, my head just wandered," he told RTE.
"You feel so nervous at the time. My head went but I’m not going to let it go now."
Denis explained that he'd be using a provisional license for so many years because it was legal to drive without a full one so long as you kept renewing your provisional.
But a new law has come in which means any provisional driver without a fully qualified driver in the car with two years experience can have the vehicle seized.
"I'm a carer now for my wife Agnes and she has epilepsy so I take care of her and my wife can’t drive so I have to have that. It’s so important to take her to hospital appointments and to take her to church every day," he said.
Despite the urgent need for a licence, Denis failed to impress the one person he needed to.
"For a lot of the test Denis was driving too close to the centre line," said tester Alan Carolan.
"He has a tendency to apply the hand brake before the car has come fully to a rest and the bell was going off warning him.
"And he went through a red light which potentially is a very dangerous fault."
But don't worry, there's some good news.
Denis then knuckled down for two months, took the test again, and passed!
You can watch him, and others attempt to get their licenses tonight on RTE One at 7.30pm.
See More: Driving Test, Dun Laoghaire, Irish Driver, Irishman, RTE
