How many of the L drivers on this website drive unaccompanied

TempestSabre

You might as well say you don't need a licence to drive a car in this country or any training.

Stark

stevenk wrote:

awaiting random smart remarks of non-approval,
from day 1, drove unaccompanied on a second provisional, still waiting on a test.

Well if you hopped straight into a car without even a few lessons under your belt, then you deserve the smart remarks.

saobh_ie

I'm on my third B provisional so by rights I should be accompanied by a fully B licensed driver. But there's nothing to gain by being accompanied, I'm not going to learn anything by having a passenger, they're not going to be able to help if I get into difficulty, and I'm typically a better driver than they are. Flip side, I'm not going to loose anything.

I have a full A license for two years though so I like to joke that I am accompaning myself. =]

Mc-BigE

saobh_ie wrote:

and I'm typically a better driver than they are.

Am I right in thinking that to be on a 3rd prov licence means you've failed your test? As apposed to someone who’s passed their test, like a full b licence holder?
So how does that make you a better driver?

MargeS

saobh_ie wrote:

I'm on my third B provisional so by rights I should be accompanied by a fully B licensed driver. But there's nothing to gain by being accompanied, I'm not going to learn anything by having a passenger, they're not going to be able to help if I get into difficulty, and I'm typically a better driver than they are. Flip side, I'm not going to loose anything.

I have a full A license for two years though so I like to joke that I am accompaning myself. =]

As far as I am aware, you were supposed to have done a driving test before you get a third provisional. If you get a 3rd prov license then you would have failed your test, therefore you revert back to having to be accompanied
Might be wrong though!

TempestSabre

As your insurance drops by getting a full licence it makes no sense to still be on a 3rd provisional unless you have a problem with doing the test.

Stark

MargeS wrote:

As far as I am aware, you were supposed to have done a driving test before you get a third provisional. If you get a 3rd prov license then you would have failed your test, therefore you revert back to having to be accompanied
Might be wrong though!

You don't have to have done the test, just applied for it.

layke

MargeS wrote:

As far as I am aware, you were supposed to have done a driving test before you get a third provisional. If you get a 3rd prov license then you would have failed your test, therefore you revert back to having to be accompanied
Might be wrong though!

You can go car, then bike, then car etc = 5 (or more) year provo licenses like moi.

TempestSabre

layke wrote:

You can go car, then bike, then car etc = 5 (or more) year provo licenses like moi.

Why? It just costs you more in insurance?

layke

Lazy.
Could afford it.
Fear of exams.

Honest truth.

Angels

I had 12 lessons before i started to drive my own car.I was driving for 2 years on my 1st prov licence and i did drive unaccompanied whilst going to work for those 2 years, now at all other times i had a full licence driver with me. I applied for my test and i passed it first time it was marked with 1 minor error.

I am now a full licence driver but let me remind all L plate drivers, that even though i have been driving for 3 years now I AM STILL LEARNING!

I say this because believe me if your only driving for 4 months you are not going to know how to handle a car in all situations cause your not driving long enough!

[Lorax
For gods sake. I always drive on my own (1st prov) and its a fairly powerful car too]

Don't be so cocky cause that's when accidents happen.

mloc123

Larry David wrote:

Yeah - powerful for a pussy on his 1st prov.

oh snap

cold_filter

Mc-BigE wrote:

Am I right in thinking that to be on a 3rd prov licence means you've failed your test? As apposed to someone who’s passed their test, like a full b licence holder?
So how does that make you a better driver?

I've done my test twice now and failed both times 4 blue ticks 3 blue ticks and 1 red and 1 red respectively on my tests. Both grade 3's came from "going to fast" which may have been the case on the first one as it was bucketing down and i spentmore time concentrating on the road in front than the speedometer and i also had been driving about 2 months so i was still pretty nervous!.
So 1 year later i took it again did 6 hours of pre-test leading up to it, they all said i would be fine. I got failed again for "going to fast" even though i never once brokt the speed limit. the tester said when we went though housing estates i was going to fast, i said i didnt break the speed limit, it doesnt matter he replied you went too fast.

So i've failed twice, my friends girlfriend passed first time she's crashed more times than i can count and the instructor told her to turn left.... she turned right (shes got big boobs... you work it out...) my girlfriend who cannot drive to save her life cut out 4 times... and passed. And the creme de la creme. One of my friends passed her driving test... driving home she crashed and wrote off her car. 1 months later while trying to do her make up on the M11 driving at 70 mph missed her turn off so she turned sharply to make it the car filpped over a number of times, so that car was wrote off... then she put her 3rd car within a year into her front room when she was pulling in to the driveway she pressed the accelerator instead of the break. Now if anyone can tell me these people are competent to drive and i am not because of a stupid "test" then you are stupid.

The driving test does not prepare people for real life driving situations it test people can they drive the way a book says for 30 mins that is all.

Stark

cold_filter wrote:

the tester said when we went though housing estates i was going to fast, i said i didnt break the speed limit, it doesnt matter he replied you went too fast.

The official limit through housing estates is 50km/hr, but you should actually be doing closer to 30km/hr, otherwise you're going "too fast for the situation".

Jimoslimos

Began to drive on my own towards the end of my 1st provisional all the way to my third. I didn't have a problem with a qualified driver/instructor being in the car with me giving advice etc., but its just too impractical to does this all the time while waiting for a test. I also drive at night and on motorways (overglorified dual carriageways IMHO) alone. I've found driving alone has probably helped more than hindered me.

Also I find the reverting to driving accommpanied on the 3rd provisional after a fail ludicrous especially when examiners refuse tell you where you've failed the test. I've recently passed my test in England and the transparency (whether you've passed or failed) is amazing compared to Ireland. If Cullen was serious about improving driving standards it might be a good idea for examiners to point out to drivers where potentially serious mistakes were being made particularly since there is no compulsory training for instructors. Anyhow rant over:)

Jimoslimos

cold_filter wrote:

the instructor told her to turn left.... she turned right (shes got big boobs... you work it out...)

A little off-topic but AFAIK its not a failable mistake, as long as she positioned her car, made observations and indicated to turn right. She would've failed if she indicated left and turned right.

Royale with Cheese

Got my provisional a while back, have had a hanful of lessons since... too lazy/busy to organise more at the moment.

I don't intend to drive accompanied for 2 years, I think it's a fairly impractical thing to ask of someone. It would be fine if you got your test within 2 or 3 months of applying for it... that way you would be able to fail the test quite a few times in 2 years. Having said that I'd consider myself quite sensible. I haven't been insured on the car yet as after a few lessons I wouldn't even be comfortable driving it on my own. I wouldn't drive unaccompanied until I really thought I was ready to. Alot of my friends drive too fast, and the odd one recklessly and I'm the only one who seems to have a problem with it. Unfortunately from what I've seen the high insurance premiums for young male drivers seem to be justified.

I don't think I know anyone who didn't drive unaccompanied on their 1st provisional.

Seth Brundle

saobh_ie wrote:

I'm on my third B provisional so by rights I should be accompanied by a fully B licensed driver.

You have had over four years to sit a test but obviously have not yet passed one. This indicates that you are not suitable to be driving alone.

saobh_ie wrote:

But there's nothing to gain by being accompanied, I'm not going to learn anything by having a passenger, they're not going to be able to help if I get into difficulty, and I'm typically a better driver than they are. Flip side, I'm not going to loose anything.

Nothing to gain at all? there is the benefit of neing within the law for a start. As for you being "typically a better driver than they are" - how did you manage to work that out?
Lastly, as for not losing anything, you could be stopped and dragged to court & fined, you also are losing out on an insurance reduction and finally, if in an incident you and held (partly) responsible, you run the risk of the insurance company pursuing you for costs.

Max_Damage

I always drove accompanied untill about the last 2-3 weeks before my driving test, by then my parents didn't really care.

Stark

kbannon wrote:

You have had over four years to sit a test but obviously have not yet passed one. This indicates that you are not suitable to be driving alone.

Reminds me of when some guy crashed into the back of me while I was waiting to take off at a roundabout ("oh I didn't see that car coming from the right, thought you were about to drive straight through"). He was blabbering on about how he had been driving for 6 years, I was like "Why do you still have your L-plates in that case".

seamus

I've said it loads of times, and I honestly believe the fairest and safest system are staged licences.

Stage 1: Driver can only drive while accompanied.

Stage 2: Driver can drive unaccompanied between 6am and 12pm.

Stage 3: Driver can drive fully unaccompanied at speeds of up to 80km/h and can drive on motorways and above 80km/h (where legal) when accompanied.

Stage 4: Full licence.

In order to move up a stage, you must do a test. Drivers must remain in each stage for at least six months, or at most two years. Any driving offences while in stages 1 - 3 and you drop a stage. Failure to pass a test within the two years and you drop a stage. If you're at stage one and commit and offence or fail to complete a test in two years, you're ineligible to drive for six months (this wouldn't be a conviction/ban, just a prohibition from applying for/renewing your licence so insurance is not affected.).

Or maybe we could just enforce the existing laws...

cold_filter

seamus wrote:

I've said it loads of times, and I honestly believe the fairest and safest system are staged licences.

Stage 1: Driver can only drive while accompanied.

Stage 2: Driver can drive unaccompanied between 6am and 12pm.

Stage 3: Driver can drive fully unaccompanied at speeds of up to 80km/h and can drive on motorways and above 80km/h (where legal) when accompanied.

Stage 4: Full licence.

In order to move up a stage, you must do a test. Drivers must remain in each stage for at least six months, or at most two years. Any driving offences while in stages 1 - 3 and you drop a stage. Failure to pass a test within the two years and you drop a stage. If you're at stage one and commit and offence or fail to complete a test in two years, you're ineligible to drive for six months (this wouldn't be a conviction/ban, just a prohibition from applying for/renewing your licence so insurance is not affected.).

Or maybe we could just enforce the existing laws...

Seamus... maybe you should run for office!!

If we had people who had the power make sensible decsions like this maybe we wouldnt have a 747 full of people every year dying on our roads

Jood

seamus wrote:

I've said it loads of times, and I honestly believe the fairest and safest system are staged licences.

Stage 1: Driver can only drive while accompanied.

Stage 2: Driver can drive unaccompanied between 6am and 12pm.

Stage 3: Driver can drive fully unaccompanied at speeds of up to 80km/h and can drive on motorways and above 80km/h (where legal) when accompanied.

Stage 4: Full licence.

In order to move up a stage, you must do a test. Drivers must remain in each stage for at least six months, or at most two years. Any driving offences while in stages 1 - 3 and you drop a stage. Failure to pass a test within the two years and you drop a stage. If you're at stage one and commit and offence or fail to complete a test in two years, you're ineligible to drive for six months (this wouldn't be a conviction/ban, just a prohibition from applying for/renewing your licence so insurance is not affected.).

Or maybe we could just enforce the existing laws...

Right this seems like a good idea, but.....would that include retesting everyone who already has a full license. Its not just provisonal drivers, young fellas, women or people with modified cars that cause accidents its all kinds of people, I agree that something has to be done to enforce the law but not until something can be done to sort out the mess that is the Irish Driving Test!!

Mc-BigE

seamus wrote:

I've said it loads of times, and I honestly believe the fairest and safest system are staged licences.

Stage 1: Driver can only drive while accompanied.

Stage 2: Driver can drive unaccompanied between 6am and 12pm.

Stage 3: Driver can drive fully unaccompanied at speeds of up to 80km/h and can drive on motorways and above 80km/h (where legal) when accompanied.

Stage 4: Full licence.

In order to move up a stage, you must do a test. Drivers must remain in each stage for at least six months, or at most two years. Any driving offences while in stages 1 - 3 and you drop a stage. Failure to pass a test within the two years and you drop a stage. If you're at stage one and commit and offence or fail to complete a test in two years, you're ineligible to drive for six months (this wouldn't be a conviction/ban, just a prohibition from applying for/renewing your licence so insurance is not affected.).

Or maybe we could just enforce the existing laws...

Stage 2 would be difficult for people who drive to work 9am to 5pm and most of the serious accidents seem to happen after 12 midnight, so 6am to 12pm might be a better

stage 3 would be dangerous, i.e. some people driving 80kph and the rest of the traffic drives at 100kph sounds like a recipe for disaster with faster cars trying to get past slower cars all the time

Mc-BigE

Mc-BigE wrote:

Stage 2 would be difficult for people who drive to work 9am to 5pm and most of the serious accidents seem to happen after 12 midnight, so 6am to 12pm might be a better

stage 3 would be dangerous, i.e. some people driving 80kph and the rest of the traffic drives at 100kph sounds like a recipe for disaster with faster cars trying to get past slower cars all the time

sorry, just spotted 12pm, thought you meant 12 noon!

DublinDilbert

Graduated/Staged Licensing works very well in Ontario… And this is a place where you have 17 year olds driving around in 4Letre sports cars!

One of the reasons it works well is cause as you work your way through the program you earn more privileges, until finally you do your exit test and gain your full licence.

It also takes a min of about 2 years to go from your first provisional to your full licence. The first driving test makes sure you are safe, and can basically handle the vehicle safely, without focusing on the finer points of driving. While the second test clearly checks your safe, but also focuses on some of the finer points of driving in different conditions. The good thing about having 2 driving tests is you can’t just wing it on the day, and hope to pass ( as so many people do here )…

If you loose your full licence you have to go through the finial stages of the graduated licensing program, after your ban.

If you come in from another country, and have a full licence from that country, they will allow you join the graduated licensing system, at the last stage. All you have to do then is pass the exit test, and you get a full licence.

It’s all a bit of a joke in Ireland… there is so many people driving around on provisional licences for years, never having passed a test, as there’s no incentive to pass the test. If there was restrictions & they were enforced, then people would have an incentive to pass the test.

Also this excuse that people have to get to work, they don't have to drive if it's going to endanger other road users... the waiting lists for the tests should be cut to about 4 weeks. But even if it was only 4 weeks to get a test date, alot of people on provisionals wouldn't pass anyway, and would expect to be allowed to keep driving..

Mc-BigE

DublinDilbert wrote:

If you come in from another country, and have a full licence from that country, they will allow you join the graduated licensing system, at the last stage. All you have to do then is pass the exit test, and you get a full licence.

Maybe we should do the same here for all the eastern European drivers driving around on our roads.:)

lazygit

i drive a 973cc opel cosra
im 30
im on my 2nd provisional.
i did not drive at all on my first provisional (i was 18 and used it as ID for pubs long before the garda id card)
i took 24.. yes 24 lessons from the day i got my second provisional over the space of about 6 weeks.
i drive alone 90% of the time

Stark

DublinDilbert wrote:

Also this excuse that people have to get to work, they don't have to drive if it's going to endanger other road users... the waiting lists for the tests should be cut to about 4 weeks. But even if it was only 4 weeks to get a test date, alot of people on provisionals wouldn't pass anyway, and would expect to be allowed to keep driving..

If the waiting list was only 4 weeks we would have far less provisional drivers on the road making it easier for the gardaí to enforce the accompanying driver rule.

At the moment, people are driving for 12 months before their test and during that 12 months they think "ah **** it, I'll start driving unaccompanied". I've no real problem with that, it was the way it was done before the driving test system, and now the driving test system is falling apart and it's reverting to that. The big problem I see is now that complete novice drivers are seeing this going on and are jumping straight into cars without a single lesson. Got stuck behind someone the other evening driving with no lights on after dark, doing about 10mph and weaving all around the place obviously under the impression that you don't even need to convince yourself you're competent before heading out on the road.

TempestSabre

People will continue to be lazy unless they are heavily fined for breaking the law.