Driving alone on a provisional

dbnavan

My wife has 10 years driving experience in America, licence means SFA over here, even though she can rent a car, anytime with american licence.
She is getting provisional licence but how strict are guards about driving with out someone with a full licence?

We need a car as we have a baby on the way, and waiting over a year for her test is not feasible.

Ferror

If you do quick search of the MOTORS forum, you'll find that this has been done a few times already...

Hope everything works out for you!

dbnavan

Can someone move this thread to motors please?

Seth Brundle

Has she checked about transferring the US licence to an EU/Irish one. I don't know if it is possible but wirht a phone call.
She should be fine driving on her own as it isn't currently really enforced. I don't think it is in the points list either...
http://www.transport.ie/upload/general/7262-0.pdf

Henry Ford III

Not enforced doesn't make it legal however.

She must display "L" plates too.

dbnavan

American licence mean nothing over here, it one of only a few countries that you cant just convert....excuse......"They all drive automatics".

In over 10 years of driving wife never owned an automatic.

Bluetonic

Simple solution is to 'lose' the first provisional and then apply for a new licence. A second one will be give, the first one is not reissued.

Perfectly legal to drive alone on second provisonal.

esskay

I drove on a provisional unsupervised for over 3 yrs. I got pulled a few times and new had any hassle, I even had to drop my license in to the station a one stage and they said nowt. Still, it may depend on the garda who stops you. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it

dbnavan

Bluetonic wrote:

Simple solution is to 'lose' the first provisional and then apply for a new licence. A second one will be give, the first one is not reissued.

Perfectly legal to drive alone on second provisonal.

Somehow I would think there is a difference in a second provisional and a replacement 1, i dunno could be wrong, i dont have one as i dont drive but find it hard to believe it to be that easy.

Bluetonic

dbnavan wrote:

Somehow I would think there is a difference in a second provisional and a replacement 1, i dunno could be wrong, i dont have one as i dont drive but find it hard to believe it to be that easy.

There isn't.

Also for reference https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/40424/18717.jpg

keithclancy

Bluetonic wrote:

There isn't.

Also for reference https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/40424/18717.jpg

Yes there is,
If you get a replacment license it will still have the same restriction on it, 921 and 922 if i remember correctly, 922 is for Full License passanger required.

Throwing your license away doesn't mean you get a restrictions removed or added.

Bluetonic

keithclancy wrote:

Yes there is,
If you get a replacment license it will still have the same restriction on it, 921 and 922 if i remember correctly, 922 is for Full License passanger required.

Throwing your license away doesn't mean you get a restrictions removed or added.

From personal experience a few years ago I have to disagree with you, a new licence was applied for and a new licence was given, i.e a D.201 form was used and not a D.800.

dbnavan

Bluetonic wrote:

There isn't.

Also for reference https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/attachments/40424/18717.jpg

While the posting of the article is very interesting reading, it is irrelevent to the fact that there is a difference in a 2nd provisional and a replacement 1st

el tel

Location: Ireland
Issue: Driver licencing (provisional)
Legal requirements: Nobody knows for sure

Advice: "G'wan sure, she'll be grand"
:rolleyes:

Bluetonic

dbnavan wrote:

While the posting of the article is very interesting reading, it is irrelevent to the fact that there is a difference in a 2nd provisional and a replacement 1st

Don't apply for a replacement, apply for a new provisional. I'm just letting you know what I, and others I know had done successfully in the past a few moons ago.

I don't think I need to add anything further.

MrPudding

Did the minister for transport not make it a requirement for all drivers on any provisional to be accompanied last year? Or did he just say he was thinking about it? Either way it is mental the provos can drive on their own.

MrP

Seth Brundle

I don't think the minister made any changes. All prov licence drivers (except those on 2nd provisionals) need to be accompanied. However this will change someday!

jhegarty

Checkout counties they will swap their licence for us one... then find if their licences can be swapped for an Irish one....

Henry Ford III

I agree. It is ridiculous to let untested drivers out on the roads. Just because somebody is on their 2nd prov. license doesn't mean they've ever driven a car.

It's stupid, dangerous, inflates insurance costs, and I've no doubt leads to otherwise avoidable fatalities.

murphaph

Some EU countries have reciprocal arrangements with some states in the US to allow licence swaps. Not all EU countries and not all US States are covered but many are. I know Germany has arrangements with a good few US states for automatic swapping of licences but many of the more popular states aren't covered as Germany does not deem their standard of driver testing to be adequate (NY for example) but many are (Illinois is one). If you could get a german address or similar in another EU state, friends in these countries?? Messy but so worth getting a full EU licence (won't even need converting to Irish).

Our man in Havana

Best option is to get a swiss licence and then convert it into an Irish licence.

Illkillya

Theres no need to wait 1 year for your test if you get a letter from your employer to say that you need your full licence for work. I got my test 2 weeks after applying this way.

Saruman

Bond-007 wrote:

Best option is to get a swiss licence and then convert it into an Irish licence.

How does one just convert to a swill licence?? Surely you need to know someone there to have an address? The reason i ask is im in the same boat as first poster.. Wife is an American, driving longer than i have with clean US licence but it means nothing here. I had hoped the UK would change but nope... They will not even change Canadian any more unless its to be an automatic only licence.

Actually i could make do with automatic only licence but i need an automatic car then

Our man in Havana

Saruman wrote:

How does one just convert to a swill licence?? Surely you need to know someone there to have an address? The reason i ask is im in the same boat as first poster.. Wife is an American, driving longer than i have with clean US licence but it means nothing here. I had hoped the UK would change but nope... They will not even change Canadian any more unless its to be an automatic only licence.

Actually i could make do with automatic only licence but i need an automatic car then

You would need the use of an address in Switzerland so they can post out your new swiss licence. People have done it and it works.

Saruman

hmmm interesting... any idea on how someone gets a swiss address? Other than moving there or knowing someone who lives there?? It would be an ideal solution. My wife has her provisional theory test on the 18th so hope she gets it and at least gets a provisional.

Alun

Well if you were to do it legally, not that that seems to bother anyone here, you'd have to be resident in Switzerland, not just "have an address" there whatever that might mean. I mean, I know people who live in half a dozen different EU countries, but does that mean I can legally get a licence from any of those? Of course, it doesn't, that'd be just taking the p1ss. Chancers, the lot of you.

Our man in Havana

In the UK you don't need to prove you live at the address you give.

Alun

Bond-007 wrote:

In the UK you don't need to prove you live at the address you give.

Well they might not actually check, but it is a requirement that you are a) permanently resident in the UK and b) have a permanent address there. If you knowingly provide false information, then I'm sure there's some small print somewhere that would mean your licence obtained in such a way was invalid.

Sparky

Illkillya wrote:

Theres no need to wait 1 year for your test if you get a letter from your employer to say that you need your full licence for work. I got my test 2 weeks after applying this way.

Ya serious:eek:, im about to fill in the application form and i was told that an employers note to inform of it required for work, would speed things up.
I reckoned 2 months but 2 weeks sounds even better.

Better make myself get into the habit of "feeding the wheel" now.

pontovic

To be honest, you should be fairly safe driving alone on a provisional licence, but if you find yourself in an accident you could be screwed. I drove alone on a provisional for ages knowing that risk, but I did it anyway. I had to get into work I had no other choice. Its your gamble, your wife should be fine as long as she doesn't bump into anyone else touchwood.

jdwals

I don't think you're screwed if you're in an accident. I remember when Seamus Brennan put his big stupid feet into the problem and announced all provisional licence holders were going to be put off the road thus casuing a mass stamped of applications to an already over burdened system - anyway, at the time they had some insurance rep guy on prime time and they asked him about insurance and provisional drivers and he said that if a provisional licence holder is in an accident that the insurance companies will honour their insurance and that they are covered.
I guess it would be pushing things too far for them not to charging up to €5,000 for insuring provisional licence holders.