She is still at it!!!

Seth Brundle

Lets improve safety on our roads by making the test easier for those who mightn't drve as much!
How do you define local?
Headcase!

White to discuss 'two-tiered' driving licence plan
06/02/2008 - 19:24:56
Green Party community and rural affairs spokesperson Mary White TD is to meet with the head of the Road Safety Authority, Noel Brett, to discuss her proposal to introduce a tiered driving licence system.

White has proposed that certain categories of drivers should be allowed sit a restricted test to drive under certain driving conditions.

"I very much look forward to this meeting to discuss my proposals," said White. "As the date inches forward for compliance with regard to full and provisional licences I believe my proposals would allow certain categories of drivers to be compliant and still allow social mobility, particularly in rural areas.

"Tiered licences are operating in many parts of the world, such as in Germany, Japan and New Zealand, and it would be a tremendous boost for many isolated rural drivers to have such a licence and still be compliant.

"I understand that the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has forwarded my proposal to the Road Safety Authority for deliberation and that the Minister will come back to me when these deliberations have concluded."

Under White's proposals, drivers would still pass a theory and driving test to obtain the restricted licence, but the knowledge tested would be restricted to local roads and driving conditions.

Other conditions would be attached in relation to the speed and times restricted drivers are allowed on the road.

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

jimmycrackcorm

Tractor driving licence?

Mena

This is nuts if you ask me...

TestTransmission

kbannon wrote: »

Lets improve safety on our roads by making the test easier for those who mightn't drve as much!
How do you define local?
Headcase!http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mheyqlqlojey/

what a great idea........................................not

peasant

wouldn't exactly call it nuts ....

There are people out there, living in the arse of beyond (often elderly people on their own) who have no other means of getting around than their own car.

Yes, theoretically they shouldn't be on second and subsequent L-licences and driving alone ...but this being Ireland they just are.

For years these people have driven the few miles to the shop/church and done no harm ...pretty soon that's going to be illegal and these folks are effectively under housearrest.

Some restricive solution that allows these people the use of the car to fulfill their basic needs yet keeps them off motorways and main arteries doesn't sound all bad to me.

At the same time it should be made clear to these folks that they should still aim for their full licence as quickly as possible.

Alun

"Tiered licences are operating in many parts of the world, such as in Germany, Japan and New Zealand, and it would be a tremendous boost for many isolated rural drivers to have such a licence and still be compliant.

Where does she get this from? They're not tiered licences, They're normal licences, in as much as you have to pass a full test (which is almost certainly more comprehensive than our own) not some kind of half-arsed 'restricted' test, but there are conditions attached to it for a certain time afterwards, which if broken have repercussions, i.e. go back to square one and start again.

What a crazy woman. I'm surprised (well, OK, I'm not really!) that Dempsey didn't tell her to just go away and stop being so silly, without giving it some semblance of respectability by actually forwarding it on to the RSA, who probably spat out their coffee over their PC screens when they read it.

Terrontress

What about an exemption for cars such as a G Wiz or one of those Piaggios or Ligiers.

It would ensure that the old dears have a means to get into town but not much more beside.

I've seen cars with 100cc engines and only 2 seats while in France.

oleras

This chick is putting herself forward for the next presidential election...... lmao. Go back to making chocolate missus !

cantdecide

God Almighty:rolleyes:Thats all we need more drivers (and government approved drivers at that) on Irish roads with the dreaded 'Im not Michael Schumacher, like' attitiude. I would be more in favour of tougher testing for eveyone. We need to improve driving standards in this country, missy.

What's next- approved drink driving for alcoholocs???

We all live in the back arse of nowhere- why don't they abolish VRT so we all have a chance of getting around the country in safe cars if they really care.

oleras

cantdecide wrote: »

What's next- approved drink driving for alcoholocs???

.

I prefer the idea that all drink drivers should only be allowed to drive between 11.15pm - 11.45pm. All others could keep off the roads. If you crash your not gona take out an innocent party.;)

javaboy

cantdecide wrote: »

What's next- approved drink driving for alcoholocs???

And higher speed limits for people with better reflexes. Get people to come in and play that Bop-it, Twist-It game and if you get above a certain score you can go 200 km/h.




In all seriousness though, if they start giving out Mass/shops driving licenses to septogenarians down the country when they've had more time than most to get a license, I want the Pale rebuilt.

Riskymove

oleras wrote: »

This chick is putting herself forward for the next presidential election...... lmao. Go back to making chocolate missus !

No she is not!!:)

Its Senator Mary White of FF thats running for Prez not Mary White Green TD!

Seth Brundle

oleras wrote: »

This chick is putting herself forward for the next presidential election...... lmao. Go back to making chocolate missus !

Different Mary White

Senator Mary "El Presidente" White


Mary "Lean Green Whinging Machine" White TD

OTK

kbannon wrote:

How do you define local?

I guess the idea is to restrict driving to a certain class of roads. The existing restriction on provisional drivers from driving on motorways is not enforced. Doesn't bode well for the practicality of this idea.

oleras wrote: »

This chick is putting herself forward for the next presidential election...... lmao. Go back to making chocolate missus !

There are two Mary Whites. One's a FF senator, one's a Green TD from Carlow.

Terrontress wrote: »

What about an exemption for cars such as a G Wiz or one of those Piaggios or Ligiers.

sounds like a compromise. G-wiz only does about 80km/h

Many full licence holders in Ireland have never passed a test.

unkel

peasant wrote: »

There are people out there, living in the arse of beyond (often elderly people on their own) who have no other means of getting around than their own car

Well if they are not competent enough to drive a car they should consider this:

Biro

peasant wrote: »

wouldn't exactly call it nuts ....

There are people out there, living in the arse of beyond (often elderly people on their own) who have no other means of getting around than their own car.

Yes, theoretically they shouldn't be on second and subsequent L-licences and driving alone ...but this being Ireland they just are.

For years these people have driven the few miles to the shop/church and done no harm ...pretty soon that's going to be illegal and these folks are effectively under housearrest.

Some restricive solution that allows these people the use of the car to fulfill their basic needs yet keeps them off motorways and main arteries doesn't sound all bad to me.

At the same time it should be made clear to these folks that they should still aim for their full licence as quickly as possible.

I'd agree with this post alright.

cantdecide

Biro wrote: »

I'd agree with this post alright.

So you also believe that people should only have to learn to drive properly and be on the roads with your family and friends only if they really want to??? And if they don't want to learn to drive properly- that's fine, too??

Everyone here, I'll wager, has learned to drive with enthusiasm- if you couldn't give a monkeys about cars and now you were told you can drive after a very mild test, would you learn properly?? Who suffers?

oleras

Riskymove wrote: »

No she is not!!:)

Its Senator Mary White of FF thats running for Prez not Mary White Green TD!

kbannon wrote: »

Different Mary White

Senator Mary "El Presidente" White


Mary "Lean Green Whinging Machine" White TD

My bad.

Still, there only wimmins, neither would know anything about cars so who cares.........:D

Saruman

This is a load of crap, as others have said. This country is much smaller than all the countries she thinks has this system, which they do not anyway

At the end of the day, if they are only competent to drive on these tiny rural roads and not have to know how to deal with maniac drivers or dangerous situations, then what happens when they meet a maniac on their rural road or a big accident. What happens if they decide to head to Galway for the weekend.. they would not have a license to go beyond their local rural roads?

If you are going to drive on a public road, and i include tractors in this then you need to know the same rules of the road, and be prepared for the same situations as everyone else. You should not even be allowed to sit your test unless you have had at "least" 10 sessions with a recognised/respected driving school like ISM or airport etc.

Saruman

I sent her an email inviting her to let us know more about the proposal. Intersting to see if we get a response.

kmick

There is not enough traffic police to enforce it.

Mary White what a bland boring name. Perfect for president...

I suggest a network of electronic eyes that monitor all our moves a la 1984.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a woman

peasant

There is another side to this:

Fact is, due to a "couldn't be arsed"- attitude of successive governements there are a few thousand (few tenthousand ?) people out there who have driven all their lives on provisionals.

A certain percentage of these people live in remote areas and absolutely need their car to look after themselves.

In the old days, they would have had relatives living close by that could take them shopping or to the doctors ... not any more. The countryside is largely empty, everybody darts off to work.

Now ...which is cheaper to society as a whole...let these poeple do a simple test so that they can get a limited licence to pootle around in their parish ...or... organise (and pay for!) public transport, food deliveries, doctors on call out, etc etc ?

randomer

peasant wrote: »

Fact is, due to a "couldn't be arsed"- attitude of successive governements there are a few thousand (few tenthousand ?) people out there who have driven all their lives on provisionals.

Are the people who didn't bother doing their test or failed to pass the test (and were issued with a certificate of incompetence) to blame at all here, or is it just "the government" who are at fault?

peasant

randomer wrote: »

Are the people who didn't bother doing their test or failed to pass the test (and were issued with a certificate of incompetence) to blame at all here, or is it just "the government" who are at fault?

It doesn't really matter who's at fault ...the fact is that these people are out there and have done it like this for years.

Personally I'm not overly fond of old Joes & Biddies doddering around on the roads either, holding everybody up and being general pain in the arse drivers.

But if this limited licence would keep them off the main arteries and outside of rush hour for example, I guess I could live with it.

I'd prefer it to some "countryside assistance tax" to pay for the alternative solutions.

unkel

peasant wrote: »

There is another side to this:

Fact is, due to a "couldn't be arsed"- attitude of successive governements there are a few thousand (few tenthousand ?) people out there who have driven all their lives on provisionals

And you can't blame these people for never having bothered to take a driving test because the government wasn't bothered to inforce it. But now the government in their great wisdom have decided to enforce it and they've given (just about) enough notice for anyone to go out there and learn to drive and pass the test. Anyone failing the test within the time frame is not a competent driver and should not drive a car. Simple as that.

They can still drive a vehicle for which no license is required should they decide they still want to be mobile...

No need for violins there, peasant

DublinDilbert

I think i know the class of driver she is referring to, there would probably be a "special" part to their test which would include double parking in narrow towns, and pulling out of a petrol station onto a national route and driving at 35 mph!!!

Graduated licensing does work well, in other countries, but its highly organized, and enforced there... Also in graduated licensing you can't just pass the first driving test and stay there forever, you have to pass 2 driving tests, within a specific time frame.

If anyone is interested in looking up about the Canadian system its explained here:- http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/index.html

The best bit about Graduated licensing, if someone comes to your country, and they already have a driving license, you get them to do a theory test, then you put them at the middle rung of the ladder so to speak. All they have to do then is do an exit test to get a full license. So they are licensed by your system, not some foreign license.

If we can't enforce the current system we have in, there's no way we could enforce another....

javaboy

A more important issue is the fact that one of the Mary Whites is going to run for the Áras. Why are so many female politicians in high profile positions in this country called Mary. Robbo, Hairnet, Hanafin, O'Rourke, McAleese, Coughlan et. al.

Is it a hangover from the Catholic Church or what? We don't want another Bloody Mary!

peasant

unkel wrote: »

No need for violins there, peasant

I know what you're saying ...personally I'd still like to fit my car with rocket launchers to blow all dawdlers off the road once and for all.

javaboy

peasant wrote: »

It doesn't really matter who's at fault ...the fact is that these people are out there and have done it like this for years.

Personally I'm not overly fond of old Joes & Biddies doddering around on the roads either, holding everybody up and being general pain in the arse drivers.

But if this limited licence would keep them off the main arteries and outside of rush hour for example, I guess I could live with it.

I'd prefer it to some "countryside assistance tax" to pay for the alternative solutions.

If Joe or Biddie can reach the grand old age of 60 and not have bothered sorting out a driving license by then, it is their own fault and they should be off the road. If they live in a rural area and have absolutely no means of gettin food etc. then they up sticks and move to a town and suffer the resulting economic hardship they brought on themselves. That might sound harsh but you can hardly say they didn't have a chance to get a license.


And to the people who think that this thing would actually be enforceable and observed by people, you're living in dreamworld.

Saruman

Look, if they have been driving 30+ years but never bothered with a full license, they have been driving longer than i have been alive. So they should have WAY more experience than i did when i passed my test first time in at 18 (10 years now!). I took 10 lessons when i started and 2 refresher pre test lessons. However they have way more experience driving than me.. so if they are competent drivers then they should be able to pass the test with flying colours. If they can not, then they do not know the rules of the road, and are not competent and as such, should not be driving.

um7y1h83ge06nx

Saruman wrote: »

Look, if they have been driving 30+ years but never bothered with a full license.......

Good post there, in theory the test should be a piece of p*ss for them.

I wonder would these be the type of biddies that can end up on a busy roundabout in Limerick, the Raheen roundabout next to the industrial estate and the South Court Hotel, driving around it the wrong way in rush hour traffic!

I kid you not, if I didn't see it myself I wouldn't believe it. Needless to say everyone kept off the roundabout until she sorted herself out!