Soon getting a Provisional Licence

Crania

Hi, I will be shortly turning 17 and getting my provisional licence. Basically what I want to find out is how strict are the Gardaí on the rule of provisionals drivers having to be accompanied by full licence holders? I've never seen a person being caught or fined because of this.

So basically, when I get my provisional licence, what would be the liklihood of the Gardaí fining me for not having a full licence holder in the car?

And also, what are the consequences of breaking this law? Just a fine? Or would the licence be taken off you for a period of time?

Help would be greatly appreciated, thanks. And please don't think I'm some kind of boy racer who wants to go out and break the law!

deman

You'll be breaking the law and I hope you're caught. Just because others do it doesn't mean it's ok. So what if the gardai don't catch you, if you're involved in an accident, you'll not be covered. And that's when the real s*** hits the fan.

Noelie

First off, since you haven't even gotten your provisional licence you shouldn't be thinking of driving without a full licence holder.
However it's a condition of your licence to have a full licence holder in the car with you, so if you don't, you will be driving without a valid licence. And if you are driving without a valid licence your insurance will also be void. you might get away with it until your in a crash and then you would be rightly fuked.

jhegarty

Noelie wrote:

First off, since you haven't even gotten your provisional licence you shouldn't be thinking of driving without a full licence holder.

True

Noelie wrote:

However it's a condition of your licence to have a full licence holder in the car with you, so if you don't, you will be driving without a valid licence. And if you are driving without a valid licence your insurance will also be void.

Not true , you are covered for 3rd party (the legally required bit) no matter what... so you will never be driving un-insured....

BrandonBlock

CoolCiaran wrote:

Just a fine? Or would the licence be taken off you for a period of time?

Hahaha.. relax kiddo.. the answer to both of those questions is: most likely nothing at all. However like everything and everyone on these boards ya can't advocate breaking the law.

Think of it like downloading an mp3, more than likely absolutely nothing is going to happen.. but there's always a chance ¬_¬

Just to add I AM NOT ADVOCATING DRIVING ON 1st PROV WITHOUT A FULLY LICENSED DRIVER OK. Just giving the op the truth regarding the situation. I've gone through about 8 checkpoints in the last year, with license checks (I'm on 1st prov too) and not a single word has been said. Same applies with all my friends/family etc who are on 1st/3rd provisionals.

Wishbone Ash

It's unlikely that you will be done for driving unaccompanied as a single offence but sometimes it's used in conjunction with other offences. I've read about people being fined for driving unaccompanied in my local District Court but nearly always in addition to no tax/no NCT/no L plates/speeding offences.

tuxy

deman wrote:

So what if the gardai don't catch you, if you're involved in an accident, you'll not be covered. And that's when the real s*** hits the fan.

Stop talking sh1te. He will be covered 3rd party.
Untill the waiting times for a driving test are significantly proving unacopanied on 1st or 3rd provisional will be ignored. Just don't drive like a moron and you will be fine. The only people I have heard being pull up on this are boy racers.

Anan1

Actually, I think the truth regarding insurance is somewhere between the two poles. The insurance company are entitled to void the cover, but in practise they tend to pay up.

unkel

Moved to the Learning to Drive forum

Dish

What do u mean by boy raceR? Like would they tend to do it coz you have ur car done up? Or jus like speeding and shyt like that?

Seinas

In fairness, they dont enforce the rule... and if they did, imagine the headache they would get from all that paperwork, i honestly dont know a provisional licence holder who drives all the time with a full licence holder... I have been stopped at dozens and dozens of checkpoints, they see my L plates, they see im alone... and they let me drive on

TwoShedsJackson

Dish wrote:

What do u mean by boy raceR? Like would they tend to do it coz you have ur car done up? Or jus like speeding and shyt like that?

If you're driving a boy racer type car and have the usual Celtic jersey/baseball cap/sitting so low and far back in the car you're practically horizontal etc. etc. any of that going on, you're way more likely to get pulled over.

If the Garda was in a bad mood he might do you for driving unaccompanied - if you look like a more normal, productive member of society, he probably won't bother.

zilog_jones

tuxy wrote:

Untill the waiting times for a driving test are significantly proving unacopanied on 1st or 3rd provisional will be ignored.

Yeah, it's as good as uninforceable at the moment. I'm on my first provisional and by the sounds of things I'll be waiting at least another 9 months before getting a test. It is completely impractical to expect people to drive accompanied for so long (or longer in many cases) - in my case there's no one else in my family who drive, never mind have a full license!

Crania

Ok guys, thanks you all very much for responding. You've certainly answered my question.

Thanks again!