Licencing Catch 22 Situation ??

Chevy RV

Hello Everybody,

This is an unusual lincencing question.

My mother in law who is in her 70's started driving about 10 years ago when her husband died. She only had a provisional licence at the time to get insurance and just kept renewing it ever since. She has a full 10 year no claims bonus and this post is not even about a claim.

She attempted and failed her test early on in that time. She is a very careful driver and mostly uses the car to take her dogs for a walk about 1 mile back the road to a wooded area. She rarely uses it to go as far as the local town although she is well capable of doing so.

However her renewal is up on the 25th February and she feels that she wouldn't pass the test. Her insurance company has requested a copy of her licence ,front & back, which she will thus be unable to supply.

Does this mean that she will be off the road if she can't pass in that time ?

Does anybody out there have any good suggestions / advice to offer how she could get over the licence hurdle ?


Regards,

Chevy RV

Owen

Chevy RV wrote: »

Does this mean that she will be off the road if she can't pass in that time ?

Unfortunately, I'd imagine she will be. The only other option she will have is to sit the test and fail, and get one of these new learner permits, but she will require a fully licensed driver to accompany her on her drives (Although, I'd imagine if she did get stopped by Gardaí they'd turn a blind eye, but if she had a smash, the Insurance company wouldn't).

Del2005

ned78 wrote: »

Unfortunately, I'd imagine she will be. The only other option she will have is to sit the test and fail, and get one of these new learner permits, but she will require a fully licensed driver to accompany her on her drives (Although, I'd imagine if she did get stopped by Gardaí they'd turn a blind eye, but if she had a smash, the Insurance company wouldn't).

She's already required to be accompanied by a fully licenced driver. By my reconing she's on her 7th provisional licence, if they still issue 1 year licences after the 3rd two year one, or 5th if not. Only time she could drive on her own is 2nd provisional.

Chevy RV wrote: »

She attempted and failed her test early on in that time. She is a very careful driver and mostly uses the car to take her dogs for a walk about 1 mile back the road to a wooded area. She rarely uses it to go as far as the local town although she is well capable of doing so.

However her renewal is up on the 25th February and she feels that she wouldn't pass the test. Her insurance company has requested a copy of her licence ,front & back, which she will thus be unable to supply.

Not meaning to sound hard here but has she said she has a full licence or provisional? If she said full then she's in trouble but if only provisional then she's OK. Why not send it a copy of the provisional. But if she crashes and there is no full licenced driver in the car she'll loose her cover and the insurance company may sue to recover the 3rd parties costs.

Also just because she is carefull doesn't mean she is any good, while the test is not perfect it at least shows that at some stage in the past you could drive to a low standard to pass the test. She never has.

Does this mean that she will be off the road if she can't pass in that time ?

She shouldn't be on the road now, but the Gardai never enforced the law so what is going to be different in 2 months? And with the huge rush of people who apllied recently she'd be lucky to get a test in time.

Does anybody out there have any good suggestions / advice to offer how she could get over the licence hurdle ?

Don't drive till she passes the test.

cormac_byrne

In the UK you can drive a 3 wheeler on a motor bike licence.

e.g. Reliant Robin

Dunno if that applies here (obviously no requirement to be accompanied when using a bike provisional / permit)

Muzzy

Renew the prov licence with one of the new permits, send in a copy of the permit and that's that. Policy is renewed and she back on the road. She is now subject to the new laws, nothing you can do about that.

The Insurance Company will not renew the policy until they can see the licence. Once a person reaches a certain age, they can only get a 3yr licence subject to a medical for each licence renewal; this will reduce to every 1 year as she gets older. Hence the reason why the company is asking for a copy of the licence, they are making sure that she is certified "Fit to Drive"

As for; But if she crashes and there is no full licenced driver in the car she'll loose her cover and the insurance company may sue to recover the 3rd parties costs.


They are not gonna sue the her for damages paid out to a third party. A TPF&T claim will be paid out.

Wishbone Ash

Chevy RV wrote: »

She only had a provisional licence at the time to get insurance and just kept renewing it ever since..... .............She attempted and failed her test early on in that time.

Presumably she was required to have done a driving test or have evidence of an application for a driving test prior to being issued with a 3rd and subsequent Provisional lLcences?

Chevy RV wrote:

Her insurance company has requested a copy of her licence ,front & back, which she will thus be unable to supply.

She can continue to renew her Learner Permit as before - i.e. by doing the driving test.

Failure won't prevent her from being issued with another Learner Permit!


.......or is their something fishy going on here?

Has she declared to the Insurance Company that she has a Driving Licence all along?

Otherwise, I don'r see what the problem is.