Changes to the Driver Licencing System Mega Thread

DarkJager

There are also those of us who have been screwed over by the test centres. I've applied twice and on both occasions they changed the date without telling me. I was informed via a phonecall on a day I was not due asking where I was. Then they expect people to suddenly adhere to this sh1t? Na it doesn't work that way. You screw me, then screw you too.

rant 2000

agreed and acknowledged but there are some truely horrendous testors and the only way to appeal their decision is to apply to the district court!!!

how is it that just over 70% are passing in some areas and yet only 45% pass rates in other areas?

Tigger

cyclopath2001 wrote: »

Getting run over is.

i've no agenda here i just feel the whole thing is too quick
rte reckon it'll be brought back to next year tho

There are indications that the enforcement of motoring laws due to have come into effect next week is to be put back until the New Year.

The expected development follows the publication of advertisements by the Road Safety Authority in this morning's newspapers announcing that the changes would be introduced from midnight next Monday.

The changes to the driver licensing laws would affect drivers who have not yet obtained their full licence.

AdvertisementThne changes would mean provisional licences will to be replaced by learner permits, to emphasise the fact that the holder is only learning to drive. Existing provisional licences would continue in force until their expiry date.

One of the major changes to the law would be that a holder of a second provisional licence would have to be accompanied at all times.

Calina

lmimmfn wrote: »

Its not a sob story, its an impossibility, i didnt buy a car also because my circumstances changed and i was living in dublin at the time( moved to france for a year and Sweden also ) and the public transport was good enough.

When i moved due to work relocation, i bought a car because my gf has a full driving license and it made sense that i learnt how to drive too. Recently we've had to move as shes working in dublin and can now commute but it ment i have to drive, i cannot move, i cannot get public transport. I have no problem spending 200euro on lessons, in fact i have no problem spending 2000 euro on lessons.

My point is is that i can no longer work legally because i can no longer travel to work, i pay in excess of 15000euro of taxes a year, if i cannot get to work i will have to pay over 8000euro so that i can get out of my rental contract and look for work in a city which has public transport.
In fact if it does come to that i will move to the uk where at least a house in a city is affordable and public transport is at least able to cope

If someone has the application form downloaded could they please upload it to putfile or similar please?

IIRC it is possible to go through the French system in under one year. In fact where I used to live it was possible to do it in one month, it's just at the time I didn't per se have even the money I used when I did it in Ireland. You didn't do it there why? Or Sweden? The truth is it was not impossible.

You're applying now. Why not before now?

parliament

rant 2000 wrote: »

.... u never hear of people failing in their droves in the uk or the us so theres defo summit up with our testing system!..

No, thats correct you don't, but why the hell would you hear? Is there a newsletter that goes out once a month keeping us updated about driving test in foreign countries, come to think of it I haven't received any news on Papau New Guinea's pass rates guess that means they all pass first time and have better training over there...oh well.

rant 2000

eh some people have friends from other countries. and they talk. about things. crazy but true

squishywishy

parliament wrote: »

people who are NOT certified fit to drive should NOT be given licenses...have some sense!

How does a piece of pink paper make you a better driver than me??
Loads of learner drivers out there are very competent but havent been given a chance to prove it!!!!
A piece of pink paper doesnt make you a good driver. Knowledge, observation and common sense on the other hand do!
There are thousands of dangerous drivers with the pink piece of paper in their pockets on our roads taking risks everyday of the week but yet they get to sit back smugly and drive about risking others peoples lives!!
Why arent the people who bought their licenses or havent had their eyes tested since they got their first license a couple od decades ago getting a hard time too????

Democracy my ass!!!

festernetsoc

This has been deferred till Feb of next year..

Heard it from a friend who got info from radio news

smemon

again, i have to defend the RSA and 'common sense' law here.

They are doing what should have been done a long time ago. It's a forward step.

I accept the timing is ridiculous, that's the only argument you guys have.

But what about the 20,000 odd drivers on their 5th or subsequent licenses - i've no sympathy for them. Fail you're test once and put it down to nerves. Fail twice and that's just about acceptable. Fail 3 times or more and you have to question if you're cut out to be on the roads full stop.

I also have to add in the fact i agree that most fatal accidents aren't cause by learners. I've no stats to back that up, but i know most learners don't do long trips at 100km/hr on national roads, it's generally just around town, 10 minutes here and there.

Way back in early 2006, i read on the front page of the evening herald about tough new laws coming in. I had just gotten a provisional at the time.

What did i do? I took lessons, applied for a test and made bloody well sure i passed, as i knew things were only going to get tougher for learners.

We all knew this would happen, but as usual, it's the Irish attitude of leave it until the last minute showing through. I do have sympathy for a minority of you guys who are on 2nd provisionals having failed a test or applied for one, but for the majority - you have no right to complain.

like i said, you all knew this was happening, you just didn't know when.

It's like having an important meeting on Tuesday at lunchtime. You don't know if lunchtime means 12pm, 1pm, or 2pm, but you should show up at 12pm just to be on the safe side, if you care at all about the meeting. Most of you guys are turning up at 2pm.

parliament

rant 2000 wrote: »

eh some people have friends from other countries. and they talk. about things. crazy but true

The UK is a whole lot bigger than Ireland and the US is a whole lot bigger than the UK so your friends must do statistical analysis of driving tests as a full time profession if their expert opinion on the matter is taken by you with such belief.

Calina

squishywishy wrote: »

Loads of learner drivers out there are very competent but havent been given a chance to prove it!!!!

300,000 of them apparently haven't even bothered asking for the chance until today when suddenly there was this rules change...For many others, they've been denied that pink piece of paper which suggest that no, they are not up to the required standard.

strange that.

Look, there are bad drivers from all walks of life. Enforcement is the key. But so too is self enforcement. Many, many learners are completely disregarding a piece of legislation that specifically requires them not to be unaccompanied. Why should i trust them not to blatantly disregard other traffic legislation?

Kruk

Follow Rte news:

There are indications that the enforcement of motoring laws due to have come into effect next week is to be put back until the New Year.

The expected development follows the publication of advertisements by the Road Safety Authority in this morning's newspapers announcing that the changes would be introduced from midnight next Monday.

The changes to the driver licensing laws would affect drivers who have not yet obtained their full licence.

Thne changes would mean provisional licences will to be replaced by learner permits, to emphasise the fact that the holder is only learning to drive. Existing provisional licences would continue in force until their expiry date.

One of the major changes to the law would be that a holder of a second provisional licence would have to be accompanied at all times.

Also any learner driver would have to hold a licence or permit six months before taking a driving test.

Age Action says it believes the new regulations would add further to the isolation of some older people living in rural areas.

The organisation said they had been contacted by a number of older people living in rural areas and driving on provisional licences who have no idea how they are going to survive without being able to drive.

The new safety strategy also plans to introduce a reduced speed limit for learner drivers, although no limit is mentioned in the strategy.

Under the new road safety strategy, the RSA is to advise the Government on the recommended new blood alcohol level for drivers, but there no level given in the strategy.

It states that the Government will act immediately thereafter.

It is claimed the new five-year plan will save 400 lives.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1026/roadsafety.html

squishywishy

Calina wrote: »

300,000 of them apparently haven't even bothered asking for the chance until today when suddenly there was this rules change...For many others, they've been denied that pink piece of paper which suggest that no, they are not up to the required standard.

strange that.

Im not one of those people!!

I applied in March when i got my provisional and on the day i took my first lesson and im still waiting! Ive practised for hours and hours with an instructor and with family friends and im still waiting...!!

So im neither of the people you have named cos ive applied and i havent been given a date

you should really read previous posts before you accuse people of being wrong

flogen

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhmhmhidauid/

Mr Dempsey says the reason to introduce the measure immediately was to prevent a flood of applications for tests and licences by people hoping to beat the deadline.

This is all they could think of?

There's going to be a flood of applications for tests no matter what way you do this and it's not like someone who applies for a test before Tuesday automatically has an exemption from the rules because they're on the waiting list.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Keith C

parliament wrote: »

So I guess you wouldn't complain is an unlicensed and uninsured driver hit you and left you to pay the cost cause he has his own worries without having to for insurance, tax and the cost to repair you car!

FFS people its not an unreasonable law, the EU are putting pressure on Ireland over their relaxed attitude, is it really that ridiculous to expect people on the roads to actually becertified fit to drive.

So did you make up this scenario yourself just to scare people :rolleyes: MIAB covers claims regarding uninsured people. obviouslt theres a process involved to claim but your statement is bull****.

redtom

parliament wrote: »

Secondly people who are NOT certified fit to drive should NOT be given licenses...have some sense!

what, like my dad who got his licence in the last amnesty and never sat a test in his life?

LillyVanilli

Apparently Brian Cowen just made an annoucement on the radio. I didnt hear it but I was told by somebody who did.

rant 2000

yeah they do. how did you guess? i have some amazing friends. we know everything. i never make any statement that i cant back up with at least 7 different sets of stats and a field study thats been carried out by an accredited university. i mean its not like this is an informal site for sharing the banter and wasting the hours in work until 5pm rolls in

flogen

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1026/roadsafety.html

There are indications that the enforcement of motoring laws due to have come into effect next week is to be put back until the New Year.

The expected development follows the publication of advertisements by the Road Safety Authority in this morning's newspapers announcing that the changes would be introduced from midnight next Monday.

So is this another example of Irish Governmental bodies not having the first clue about successful implementation of an idea or was this the RSA's plan all along - to bitch-slap provisional holders and let them know they're coming to get them so they'd better get running?

parliament

squishywishy wrote: »

How does a piece of pink paper make you a better driver than me??

If you're talking better as in who is faster around a racetrack, No I could not say I am a better driver, but yes I am a safer driver than you in the eyes of the state who have verified that I am safe to drive so until you can try but you can't claim to be an equal driver until you have passed your test. Ans yes I know there are many people with full license who don't know how to drive safely but they are and ignorant few that can be found holding green and pink licenses.

redtom wrote: »

what, like my dad who got his licence in the last amnesty and never sat a test in his life?

Yes.

What if we had amnesty's for doctors so that we could churn them out quicker and alleviate the strains of the consultants situation...good idea or bad idea?

squishywishy

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:D

lisbon_lions

Im giving it the big up yours too. I have driven for 100k+ miles now over several years, incident free.

I agree with the concept of what they are doing, but to put it out on the 11th hour like this is absurd.

"enjoy the bank holiday everyone, oh and btw, those of you on L's cannot drive from next tuesday"!! thats insane and will not be inforced.

Luckily, i have a test date of 14/11. but its typical not being thought through mindset of the RSA. Put gay byrne back on the toy show and get him out of a post he is clearly not able to apply rational thought to.

Jomcc

Call me a cynic if you like but think about this first.



May 07,

Fianna Fail Re-Elected.

Sept/October 07

Minister for Finance Cowan advises us that this budget will be tight and we should cut back on spending……health cuts etc, etc.

25th Oct O7

Bertie Aherne awards himself €38,000 pay rise to make him one of the biggest wage earners for leaders worldwide. Cowan gets €36,000. The rest get from €18,000 to €26,000.

RSA announces new laws.


26th Oct 07.

Airtime is taken up by discussions on change in legislation regarding Learner Drivers which could never be brought into force. Ahern and gang get away without a word.



You have to hand it to them, they certainly know how to play the media.

seamus

Brian Cowen doesn't get to make the decision. He only gets to give soundbites.

squishywishy

If you're talking better as in who is faster around a racetrack,

Talk about being ridiculously petty and childish....you know full well that thats not what i meant

No I could not say I am a better driver, but yes I am a safer driver than you

Maybe when you first passed your test you were but time changes that!
Ongoing testing is the way to go not making it harder for people to get on the road or take the test. Stopping people from practising is only going to make people worse drivers in the long run

parliament

Keith C wrote: »

So did you make up this scenario yourself just to scare people :rolleyes: MIAB covers claims regarding uninsured people. obviouslt theres a process involved to claim but your statement is bull****.

No it was intended to point out that burying your head in the sand is no different to flouting other rules of the road because it doesn't suit you or your situation. The point was not related to the process of claiming insurance in this particular scenario (that was not made up it happens quite regularly as you yourself pointed out by stating that the MIAB have procedures in place in the event of this happening)

Your retort is in fact bull*****

Snakeblood

flogen wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/1026/roadsafety.html


So is this another example of Irish Governmental bodies not having the first clue about successful implementation of an idea or was this the RSA's plan all along - to bitch-slap provisional holders and let them know they're coming to get them so they'd better get running?

I don't really see how the Minister, who presumably signed off on this, could be in favour of the RSA bitchslapping voters while simultaneously making him look like a total fool for signing off on it, then backtracking. Which is how this is coming out.

parliament

rant 2000 wrote: »

yeah they do. how did you guess? i have some amazing friends. we know everything. i never make any statement that i cant back up with at least 7 different sets of stats and a field study thats been carried out by an accredited university. i mean its not like this is an informal site for sharing the banter and wasting the hours in work until 5pm rolls in

Well if you're just here for a laugh go over to AH or something and don't get upset if your opinions don't get accepted as fact.

BlackWizard

I don't think anyone feels that this is a bad move in its entirity and what it's objective is. It's just that everyone who is in this situation feels we need more time.

I bet there are a few like me out there who have only had their car for a month and put off applying for the full license because they are busy with work or are still sorting out NCT and Tax.

And I admit it's just laziness for not applying for the full license. Especially those who have been driving for years. But everyone deserves a second chance to right their wrongs. Those who are in this situation currently, just require more time. As for those applying in the next few weeks, then maybe start applying it to them. They have sufficient warning and it does screw with their future plans of driving this year. But it's not as bad as those of us who will have to find new jobs or leave college. Or worse.. I'll have to stop playing soccer for boards.ie!!

Back on topic. Anyone really worried about this? I'm beginning to get a lil apprehensive. Starting to think of my options in a worse case scenario. Sell car? Postpone the insurance. Waste of tax money too