National Car Test

BrianD3

very sad if they would fine someone over a matter so trivial as the county name in Irish missing

Yes, but as mentioned already where do they draw the line once they start ignoring trivial law breaking. If they let people away with having no irish name on the plate (as required by law) then then they might as well let them away with having no EU symbol either. And sure while they're at it, they can let them put whatever size/type/colour font they like on the plate as long as it's vaguely readable.

This basically describes what has happened with plates in Ireland. Every second car these days seems to have some sort of non-standard plate. They look tacky and are virtually illegible in many cases.

Plates should conform to a certain standard and this standard should be enforced Jesus, it's not such a big thing to ask for. It's only a small piece of metal/plastic on the car bumper that has to conform to the regulations. Doesn't mean we're turning into a police state or anything

Bullshìt like this has nothing to do with safety

What about emissions regulations, they have little or nothing to do with safety either. They're also part of the NCT - are they "Bullshìt" too?

BrianD3

Victor

Originally posted by unkel
Exactly, but very sad if they would fine someone over a matter so trivial as the county name in Irish missing

You mean it's a "technicality". Guess what? The law is technical.

PBC_1966

Did the govt. give any reasons for requiring the Gaelic name, even though the letters are clearly allocated to make it easy to decode the county from the number?

Rules here in Britain about height and spacing of digits have been in place for a long time, but they were tightened up considerably and even the actual font to be used was specified with the recent introduction of the new system.

I've fallen foul of some picky cop in the past with the plates I used on various American cars. Every official I tried to sort it out with suggested I just fit "standard" plates, and I had to keep explaining that there's no way with a 7-digit number you can get the spacings they specify on a standard 12 x 6 U.S. size plate.

By the way, I do like the font style used on the new Irish plates. It looks so much nicer than the ugly one being used on new plates here. You could lose the horrible EU rag (Oh, did I say rag? I meant flag... ) from the left-hand side though. Should such a requirement be introduced here, I'm one of many who will refuse to display the symbol.

Wouldn't you rather have the Irish tricolor, Cross of St. Patrick, or some other Irish emblem instead?

unkel

BrainD3 and Victor you are right of course.

I would be p*ssed off though if they failed my car over something like this. I doubt very much also if anyone has ever gotten fined by Gardai in this country for having a perfectly normal plate with just the county in Irish missing

Jeez, I seem to be more upset than Quigs Snr or maybe it hasn't sunken in yet

Victor

Originally posted by PBC_1966
Every official I tried to sort it out with suggested I just fit "standard" plates, and I had to keep explaining that there's no way with a 7-digit number you can get the spacings they specify on a standard 12 x 6 U.S. size plate.

Whats wrong with a standard UK reg.? Would you insist on an American style British passport?

Originally posted by PBC_1966
Should such a requirement be introduced here, I'm one of many who will refuse to display the symbol.

:rolleyes:

Originally posted by PBC_1966
Wouldn't you rather have the Irish tricolor, Cross of St. Patrick, or some other Irish emblem instead?

Nope - it says "IRL" already.

woosaysdan

my brother was going up the country for his test and he crashed on the way up!!! he asked for the next available date anywhere!!! now thats unlucky!!!

PBC_1966

Whats wrong with a standard UK reg.?

American plates have been a standard 12 x 6" since 1957, and the plate frames, holders, bumper recesses and so on are designed for that size. The long thin U.K. plates just won't fit in many cases. In fact, since my run-in over that several years ago, the regulations here have been changed to allow smaller plates where a conventional UK plate won't fit.

By the way, the whole argument (in both the RoI and the UK) over plates could be settled by adopting the U.S. approach where the plates are officially issued, i.e. pay your registration fee at the DMV, and they hand you the plate(s) to put on the vehicle. (Just so long as they would issue the smaller plates when necessary, of course ).

Re the EU symbol, many people here have already protested at its inclusion on the new driver licenses, and have modified their licenses to eradicate the ring of stars and replace it with a Union Flag. There is an intense and growing hatred of the EU in this country.

Gurgle

Originally posted by BrianD3:
What about emissions regulations, they have little or nothing to do with safety either. They're also part of the NCT - are they "Bullshìt" too?

Let me get this straight, you're suggesting that testing the car for carcenogenic, ozone-destroying gasses is comparable to insisting that the county of issue be spelt out on the plate in Irish ?

Did you think this through ?

Genghis

I dunno, I like the EU registrations - especially on some car from another country, its interesting to be able to identify its origin. I see where you are coming from in the UK, but that is a wider issue (whereas in most of Europe people see the EU as inclusive, and something to be a member of, I sometimes think that UK citizens see it merely in terms of an unwanted empirical-like organisation).

I failed the NCT on the Chontae as ghaelige test too, but it wasn't really any big deal to fix. €8 a pop, stuck them on and had a visual re-test. I was relieved that there wasn't something major wrong with the car that would need replacement - tyres, exhaust system, brake pads, that sort of thing.

Gurgle

OK - A car when first registered is assigned a registration number.
This number specifies unambiguously the year, the county and the car's unique number.

That should be whats required on the license, with specified minimum size, even a font and colour to make sure its readable.

IMO anything beyond that is pointless pedantic red tape.
Of which we have no shortage as it is.

PBC_1966

I dunno, I like the EU registrations - especially on some car from another country, its interesting to be able to identify its origin.

Visiting cars are supposed to display a country oval with the appropriate code (an exception was made to allow vehicles in EU countries to dispense with that where the new-style plates with identifier are used).

Judging by the number of French, German, and Dutch cars I see around this area with no F, D, or NL sticker though, it's not widely enforced. And the format of their numbers are pretty well known and easy to spot. The ones from farther afield are a mystery sometimes though.

BrianD3

Let me get this straight, you're suggesting that testing the car for carcenogenic, ozone-destroying gasses is comparable to insisting that the county of issue be spelt out on the plate in Irish ?

Let me remind you what wrote lest you forget.

Does anyone remember when the NCT was introduced - It was for safety.
Bullshìt like this has nothing to do with safety.

I was making the point that emissions testing has little or nothing to do with road safety either. Hence the argument that you made is invalid.

Sounds like you're the one who needs to think about what you're writing.

Also, my attitude is this: if someone fails the NCT on illegal number plates it'll cost maybe 20 quid to get legal plates made up and then a free retest from the NCTS who will visually inspect the plates for compliance. OTOH if someone fails the NCT on emissions because their catalytic converter is f*cked they're looking at 500+ quid for a new CAT plus 48 quid for a retest (as the NCTS will need to utilise their equipment for the retest)

I have a lot of sympathy for the person who finds themselves in the latter situation. Whereas I have zero sympathy for the person who finds themselves in the former situation.

Number plates are easy and cheap to get right. It's the law and it should be adhered to.

Finally, there are conspiracy theories going around that the NCTS are deliberately setting out to fail people on numberplates to fill quotas and make more money etc. Well, seeing as number plates do not require a retest using equipment, how is this so? By failing cars on plates and having them return for a free retest, the NCTS are costing themselves money (as someone has to inspect the plates yet the car owner isn't charged for the labour)

BrianD3

Gurgle

Seatbelt - Personal safety
Brakes - Group safety
Emissions - Environmental safety (I know, its a stretch)
County name in Irish on number plate -

Originally posted by BrianD3:
Number plates are easy and cheap to get right. It's the law and it should be adhered to.

Yes but its a stupid law.
I'm not supporting any conspiracy theory or anything, I just think that we would be better off with fewer stupid laws. We have enough of them.

Its not that long ago you would see people driving around leaving a trail of thick black stinking oily smoke. The emissions test does have a point. I have every sympathy for someone who's CAT is broke but at least the CAT does serve a purpose in the first place.

BrianD3

Yes but its a stupid law

I would tend to agree. Personally, I don't see the point of having the Irish name. However, the law is the law and there's a certain standard that plates have to comply with. Number plates are either legal or they're not. It's up to the Gardai and the NCTS to enforce the law on plates. If your plates are legal then grand. if they're not legal, it's a very small deal to rectify the situation. And at this stage, everyone should know that you need the Irish name on your plates - there's been enough publicity about it.

BTW I'm sure if the law was changed so that it was illegal to have the Irish county name on your number plates, people would still find something to complain about. They'd probably be moaning about Ireland's identity and language being eroded by EU bureacracy....

BrianD3

PBC_1966

As Ireland is officially bi-lingual, why does this new rule require the county name to appear in Gaelic, but not in English as well, like road signs?

Victor

Originally posted by Gurgle
Seatbelt - Personal safety
Brakes - Group safety
Emissions - Environmental safety (I know, its a stretch)
County name in Irish on number plate -

Hang on, why have a number palte at all? It doesn't really improve safety does it?

Would the real reason for having the long form name be to stop people altering the county letter easily? :rolleyes:

Originally posted by PBC_1966
As Ireland is officially bi-lingual, why does this new rule require the county name to appear in Gaelic, but not in English as well, like road signs?

Because Irish is the first language.... and it's the law.

unkel

Originally posted by Victor
Because Irish is the first language....

Aye but in reality this is true for only a couple of thousand people out of a population rapidly approaching 4 million :rolleyes:

Gurgle

Originally posted by Victor:
Hang on, why have a number palte at all? It doesn't really improve safety does it?

You honestly don't understand the reason for number plates ?

.... and it's the law.

Good arguement, clearly and concisely explained.

Again with the 'its a stupid law'.

PBC_1966

Because Irish is the first language.... and it's the law.

I hadn't realized that. I assumed that Irish and English were both official languages with equal status, like English and French in Canada.

How is English defined in Irish legal terms? Is it classed as some sort of secondary language which is an acceptable alternative to Gaelic?

ChipZilla

Originally posted by PBC_1966
I hadn't realized that. I assumed that Irish and English were both official languages with equal status, like English and French in Canada.

How is English defined in Irish legal terms? Is it classed as some sort of secondary language which is an acceptable alternative to Gaelic?

http://www.ireland.com/explore/about/language.htm

First paragraph there says it all really.

The reason why we now speak English is a matter for the politics forum IMHO.