There will be unsettled and mixed weather with a mobile Atlantic flow affecting Ireland, with the potential for some severe or damaging west to southwest gusts and coastal flooding.

Gardaí said they will be placing a particular emphasis on detecting those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs this weekend.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) received 161 complaints regarding Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) last year.

A note said Sean Canney believed that the Road Safety Authority (RSA) – which employs less than 500 staff – was still capable of being managed as a single entity.

President of the IRHA, Ger Hyland, said he believes that unless there is a change to the RSA, the driving test backlog and rising death toll on the roads will continue.

Of the 1,038 drivers who were detected speeding, 377 were intercepted by gardaí.

The Irish Road Haulage Association has hit out at the government for scrapping plans to overhaul the Road Safety Authority, claiming the move will cost lives and hurt rural businesses.

A J1 visa allows students to work in the US from May 15th to September 15th, with an additional 30 days to travel.

Waiting times remain above the RSA’s Service Level Agreement of 10 weeks, and some individual test centres are still experiencing delays.

FlineBoxes will be available throughout the weekend in the campervan, red, and yellow car parks, and remain open into Monday morning to support those driving home.

Two weeks ago, the waiting time was 14.1 weeks, and at the end of April, the waiting time peaked, with a 27-week wait.

The RSA said it remains firmly on track to achieve its goal of reducing average waiting times to 10 weeks by September 2025.

New figures published by the Department of Justice reveal that a daily average of 18 learner drivers had their vehicles taken off the road in 2024 – a total of 6,483.

With no end to the driving test backlog in sight, here are the test centres with the shortest wait times

Michael Murphy, the Chair of the Oireachtas Transport Committee, has urged the RSA to outline plans to address the issue of waiting times when they come before the Transport Committee.

The plan sets out actions to bring the average waiting time down from 27 weeks to 10 weeks by early September 2025.

Jennifer Whitmore criticised the lack of accountability within the RSA as the driving test backlog reached record highs last month.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said since the beginning of last year they recorded 85 accidents involving driving tests, 15 near-miss events, and 38 cases involving abuse of staff.

More than 83,000 applicants were waiting for a driving test in April – the highest number recorded since the pandemic.

32 per cent have been involved in a near miss, with all reported collisions involving men.

The new RSA drug-driving campaign aims to correct public misconceptions and raise awareness, especially among young people, about the reality and risks of drug-driving.

So far this year, the number of drivers and pedestrians that have been killed on Irish roads from January to March was above average when compared to the same period over the past five years.

Ahead of the national holiday, drivers and all other road users are being reminded to plan ahead and organise a safe way home if socialising over the coming days.

So far, 106 vehicles have been detected travelling in excess of the speed limit on National Slowdown Day.

CCPC says Ireland is lagging behind countries such as Australia and the UK in providing centralised databases of used car histories accessible to car buyers

A man and a woman have both received prison sentences for their roles in a “serious criminal enterprise” in which they posed as learner drivers and sat the driver theory test on behalf of others

The two accused were part of a group of five individuals involved in a scheme to take driver theory tests on behalf of third parties

People are being urged not to travel on Friday during the red weather warning and to avoid unnecessary travel

Met Éireann has forecast a gradual change to milder weather over the weekend, which could lead to some localised flooding as snow and ice thaw

A yellow warning for sleet and snow is in place for much of the country with heavy rain expected in southern parts also.

The Government is aiming to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent by 2030.

Throughout last year, there were 46 cases where a person was involved in a crash during their driving test.

The fee for a driving license will increase from €55 to €65 from January 1st, with the price of an NCT rising to €60.

During the month of December 2023, 14 people lost their lives on Irish roads and 124 were seriously injured.

Four e-scooter riders were killed and 117 seriously injured on Irish roads between January 1st, 2020, and December 31st, 2023.

A nationwide status yellow low temperature and ice warning has been extended, and will remain in effect until Friday at midday.

The RSA said drivers should expect hazardous conditions with a potential for reduced visibility.

HGVs represented 11 per cent of vehicles involved in fatal road collisions.

It follows an independent report which also determined that fees would have to increase to meet costs.

Throughout the October bank holiday weekend, an extensive Garda Roads Policing Operation was in place between 7am on Thursday to 7am yesterday.

143 people have been killed on the roads so far this year.

"All of a sudden, parked, hidden, very nice and tidy along a row of parked cars, you have a speed van," he said.

The RSA is warning of difficult road conditions with the potential for fallen trees and debris as well as damaged power lines.