The Road Safety Authority (RSA) has said that current wait time for the BE trailer test is between 10 and 12 weeks from the date of application.

This is in comparison to a current 20-week wait for the car test, the RSA confirmed.

The BE driver’s licence allows drivers to tow a fully loaded trailer weighing up to 3,500kg, provided the laden weight of the trailer being towed does not exceed the specified towing capacity of the vehicle.

The latest data available, as of 31 December 2022, shows over 870,000 drivers held a category BE on their driving licence and just under 28,000 drivers held a category BE on their learner permit, the RSA confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal this week.

Pass rates

The highest pass rate last year was seen in Galway with 94% of the 230 people who took the test having passed.

Clare was next in 2022 with a 91% pass rate followed by Donegal on 90%.

The lowest pass rate was in Dublin with just 66% of people passing the test.

Overall, the pass rate across all counties is 80%, the RSA has revealed. Laois had the lowest number of people taking the test in 2022 with just 11, compared to 323 in Cork.