Provisional Driver needing to use Motorways

Wishbone Ash

j2u wrote:

i have been driving a week and when it comes to roundabouts i get nervous but im reasonably an ok driver now,but anyway im on the mi from balbriggan to ardee 5 days a week and find it much easier and safer than going by back roads

The roads you refer to aren't "back roads". The N2 is a national primary route and the R132 (formerly N1) was a national primary route prior. The N33 connecting both routes could hardly be described as a "back road"!

Seth Brundle

j2u wrote:

i have been driving a week and when it comes to roundabouts i get nervous but im reasonably an ok driver now,but anyway im on the mi from balbriggan to ardee 5 days a week and find it much easier and safer than going by back roads.the best tip id give is to say in the slow lane and keep at the speed limit or at least maintain speed with the vehicle in front.thibgs are going smoothly for me so far and most of the guys in my company are provisional drivers and use the motorways daily and have not got any bother.so i reckon you would be alright.

1. driving for just a week and already giving an opinion on how to drive - well done!
2. if you get nervous when driving then you are not (IMO) "reasonably an ok driver now".
3. WTF is a 'slow lane'?

Capt'n Midnight

nialler wrote:

You do your test tomorrow, let's say in churchtown, you pass your test, you can f*ck off to the M9 and fly along at 120-130kph, where's the sense in that?

none.
Up north you are restricted to 45mph for a year after doing the test.
In the UK people will actually display GREEN L plates to let others know they have passed the test but don't have much driving experiance.

odonnell

its a green P, but as its not enforceable you see very few of um.

on a side note, as a Scot who is always perplexed at some of the stupidity I see on the roads - i find it unammusing to see people complain or raise the topic of the gardai not lifting a finger and cracking down on provo drivers etc - then go straight out and break the law themselves, or spend time trying to figure out the best way to not get caught or what penalty theyd be liable to pay should they actually BE caught.

Seriously flawed attitudes.... unbelievable. Take some responsibility and dont break the law.

Wishbone Ash

Capt'n Midnight wrote:

In the UK people will actually display GREEN L plates to let others know they have passed the test

odonnell wrote:

its a green P

I thought it was an amber 'R'.


Restricted Drivers

After passing the driving test for a motor car or motorcycle, you
must display amber R plates for a period of one year from the
date of passing the test. The plates MUST conform to legal
specifications and MUST be clearly visible to others from in
front of the vehicle and from behind. Plates should be removed
or covered when not being driven by a restricted driver. The
maximum permitted speed for any vehicle displaying R plates is
45mph, irrespective of whether or not the vehicle is being
driven by a restricted driver.

odonnell

isnt that in the north? i was talking about mainland UK sorry.

jhegarty

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I thought it was an amber 'R'.

I think the fact that we can't figure out gives an indication at how much they are used

Capt'n Midnight

odonnell wrote:

its a green P, but as its not enforceable you see very few of um.

It's not a requirement at all. People do it as a courtesy to other road users or as a request for a little patience. Here people have stealth L-plates. I've seen red L's with NO white background in the back window, lower left hand side in red cars, right in the corner of the window.

Stark wrote:

I find L-plates are a useless indicator of who's actually driving the car. There are so many fully licenced drivers driving around with L-plates because an offspring or sibling is learning to drive on their car and so many L-drivers who don't bother with plates. The Gardaí would really have to be pulling people at random to check their licences and that would cause loads of hassle on the motorways.

seeing as how 1/7 are on L plates and maybe 1/20 are uninsured, and it could be done on the off-ramps, not like you are going anywhere for 10-15 minutes anyway.

MrPudding

jhegarty wrote:

I think the fact that we can't figure out gives an indication at how much they are used

He is perfectly correct, it is an amber "R" in NI and it is a legal requirement to display them.

The green "P" is mainland UK and I actually see quite a lot of them round where I stay.

MrP

cerebis

I was in front of the cops today with my L-plates on at a set of traffic lights and conked out...I didn't panic...started the car back up and drove away...cops just drove ahead past me....nice one!

yayamark

cerebis wrote:

I was in front of the cops today with my L-plates on at a set of traffic lights and conked out...I didn't panic...started the car back up and drove away...cops just drove ahead past me....nice one!

Didn't think there was traffic lights on a motorway

Wishbone Ash

yayamark wrote:

Didn't think there was traffic lights on a motorway

If one were to travel from the Dublin Airport main roundabout to the M50 via the M1, one would be required to go through several sets of traffic lights without leaving a motorway.