No "L" Plates

Wishbone Ash

jobucks wrote: »

were waiting on your driving test you were probably waiting near enough to a year.. did you drive accompanied? did you leave the car at home and walk everywhere? or have you just become one of those drivers who suddenly forgets that you also had to go through this process

You must remember that many Full Licence holders pass the test first and then purchase a car.

a bit of common sense will tell you that the majority of L drivers are as keen as ever to get their full licenses

Over 70% have not applied for a test!

and the bull thats being put out there about 6-8 weeks waiting is nothing but spin doctoring on the RSA's behalf.

It's an AVERAGE and many of our regular posters would beg to differ.

ssmith6287 wrote: »

Won't hurt anyone? Yet the normal testing procedure we have now is backlogged, barely working and has a low pass rate, with 100,000 drivers. But you think that testing millions of qualified drivers will be simple? C'mon...

If the penalty points system was enforced rigorously, of course a lot more manpower would be needed, then that would be all that is needed. So if someone gets enough points, they have proven they are not respectable road users and thus, must prove that they are to the authorities: By doing the test!

Like I said before it doesnt have to be a test centre, plenty of ISM certified driving instructors about the place that could easily do the same job. There would be no back log. I see it with my mates (young lads) and family(not so young) ages might be different but driving wise theyre the same. No accidents (touch wood) but theres always scope for improvement. I just think if you had to do a driving test evry few years then if it cuts out 1 bad habit itd be something. its like a drug, start off small and ye eventually work yer way up. same with driving, ye start off maybe not checking a blind spot, soon its the norm for ya

ssmith6287 - why all the bold type? - please use the 'quote' function.

ssmith6287

Defenestrate wrote: »

Nope, just my model good-looks. :pac:



I booked my test when I was still learning, by the time it came along I was ready.



Nope, I got insured on my Mum's car and she accompanied me around and about a bit. I relied on lifts and the bus as I was only 17 at the time.



Nope, it was a pain and expensive too. But I'd rather semi competent teenagers were kept off the road thank-you very much!

I know a woman who has failed her test 4 times, yet she still drives her 4 year old son round in her golf gti..... not just teenagers mate, shes in her 30's

ssmith6287

ssmith6287 - why all the bold type? - please use the 'quote' function

Because evrytime I use the quote function, it quotes the whole thing. sure yis know what im at anyway

jobucks

Defenestrate wrote: »

Nope, just my model good-looks. :pac:



I booked my test when I was still learning, by the time it came along I was ready.




Nope, I got insured on my Mum's car and she accompanied me around and about a bit. I relied on lifts and the bus as I was only 17 at the time.

.

Nope, it was a pain and expensive too. But I'd rather semi competent teenagers were kept off the road thank-you very much!

1.whatever floats your boat

2.I also booked my test when I was still learning, and I am also ready, however I have been ready quite a while and waiting.

3.Unfortunately I don't rely on Mummy & Daddy to drive or accompany me around.. but I'm quite sure it wouldn't have suited having to drive me 20miles every morning to work and back again


4.I think you'll find that the semi competent teenagers is somewhat of an stereotypical answer which really doesn't stand up to scrutiny, check out the stats on the RSA website.

I am a 31 year old woman who started driving less than 2 years ago, I applied when I felt ready to do my test and I can assure you I have witnessed many fully licensed drivers who should absolutely NOT be on the roads.

Defenestrate

jobucks wrote: »

1.whatever floats your boat

2.I also booked my test when I was still learning, and I am also ready, however I have been ready quite a while and waiting.

3.Unfortunately I don't rely on Mummy & Daddy to drive or accompany me around.. but I'm quite sure it wouldn't have suited having to drive me 20miles every morning to work and back again


4.I think you'll find that the semi competent teenagers is somewhat of an stereotypical answer which really doesn't stand up to scrutiny, check out the stats on the RSA website.

I am a 31 year old woman who started driving less than 2 years ago, I applied when I felt ready to do my test and I can assure you I have witnessed many fully licensed drivers who should absolutely NOT be on the roads.

1. Why thank-you.

2. How long is the waiting list? I heard it was about 8 weeks now in Dublin. Considering you've been driving for 2 years I find the sympathy hard to come by.

3. I should hope not at 31, perhaps you should have learned earlier, before you relied on a car for work?

4. You're telling me you'd want these people driving unchecked round the same roads as your friends and family?!

As for bad passed drivers, that's true, there are many. The aforementioned BMW drivers for instance and anyone who decides they're too important to indicate on a roundabout. :mad:

jobucks

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You must remember that many Full Licence holders pass the test first and then purchase a car.


Over 70% have not applied for a test!

It's an AVERAGE and many of our regular posters would beg to differ.


ssmith6287 - why all the bold type? - please use the 'quote' function.

Wishbone I am aware that many full license holders pass the test & then purchase a car, however I am also aware that this is not the norm.

Over 70% of current provisional and Learner permit holders have not applied, however over 60% of holders valid in November when the new iniatitive was announced have applied, may new provisionals and permits have been added to that list since then..

I can see that many of your regular posters would agree to differ, however does that meant that I as a "newbie" am not allowed to voice my opinion? Or because I am new to the boards I should sit back and just take what more seasoned posters say as truth.???

mcaul

what most people don't realise is that the new rules only apply to those holdng a second provisional license.

So to explode much of the tabloid / joe duffy crap that's out there.

Holders of first provisional / learner permits and third provisional licenses have had to have a qualified driver beside them for the past few years.

If you do drive unaccompanied, you are commiting an offence under the road traffic act - this DOES NOT criminalise you as per Joe Duffy. It is simial in stature to speeding / breaking lights etc etc and is not covered in way whatsoever by criminal law.

Somewhere else, it was said that you need to hold a full license for 2 years before you drive on a motorway - untrue.

As for a garda crackdown, 99% of gardai are decent people and will give leeway depending on how you react to them. Doing donuts in the middles of the road, undertaking and general bad driving will get you stopped and if you can't produce a license, the car will be impounded. e.g. They will target boy racers.

If you drive in a normal way and are not causing any problems, they won't do anything. - Its called the common sense approach and it what the gardai do in most road traffic situations.

But this approach may change in a few months when insurance companies are asked not to insure learners in any way other than as named driver.

jobucks

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

You must remember that many Full Licence holders pass the test first and then purchase a car.


Over 70% have not applied for a test!

It's an AVERAGE and many of our regular posters would beg to differ.


ssmith6287 - why all the bold type? - please use the 'quote' function.

Defenestrate wrote: »

1. Why thank-you.

2. How long is the waiting list? I heard it was about 8 weeks now in Dublin. Considering you've been driving for 2 years I find the sympathy hard to come by.

3. I should hope not at 31, perhaps you should have learned earlier, before you relied on a car for work?

4. You're telling me you'd want these people driving unchecked round the same roads as your friends and family?!

As for bad passed drivers, that's true, there are many. The aforementioned BMW drivers for instance and anyone who decides they're too important to indicate on a roundabout. :mad:

1.lucky you then I applied 20 weeks ago, got my date for the 14th of July only in the last couple of weeks - as you can see from my earlier post.

2.perhaps I should have learned earlier.. but that I will put down to my personal choice and necessity.. I didn't need to learn and was not affected by the fact that I didn't drive... I started learning when I needed to.. as I say personal choice is my prerogative, not yours to judge.

3. I do not think that anyone should be unchecked,and never did I say this, I didn't even disagree with the current laws, all I did voice was that the generalisations about learner drivers and younger drivers.. is just that generalisations, you really cannot tar all with the same brush.

eddiehobbs

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

430,000 approx.

(92,000 on 2nd Provisionals/Learner Permits in Category .


As 85% of drivers have a Full Licence, most bad driving would indeed be displayed by those people.

You'll have to explain the maths there to me mate

450,000 learners

4 million population approx

This does not translate into 85% of people having full licences

It translates into approx 85% of people not having a provisional

And not everyone drives a car ya know

NullZer0

Defenestrate wrote: »

If they cant pass their tests, they're not safe enough to go round driving on their own.

Defenestrate wrote: »

I hope they all get caught tbh. It's pure selfishness to endanger lives with incompetent driving. If you're good enough, book a test. If the waiting list is long, book it when you're getting good. Simple.

Have you ever drove a car with a provisional license unaccompanied by a full licensed driver (that met/meets relevant criteria applicable to Irish Law at the time)?



In a perfect world we would all have our full licenses and tests completed, there would be no accidents and we'd all be like the poster above... perfect.

IMO the opinion of both posts above is nothing more than an attempt to feel superior. An effort at the "I'm better than you card". I perceive this posts as coming from people who have nothing better to worry about, people that probably think about this more than they should and people that are bitter.

Whatever the reason for the attitude, it is very childish.

If you have your full license and have passed your test then good for you.
If you dont there is no need to judge.


Are you a driving instructor? (possible)
Are you qualified to make judgment on other peoples driving skills? (if so, I would be very interested in taking the course you took).

sdanseo

Zamboni wrote: »

I don't know what all the fuss is about.
I've been driving unaccompanied on a provisional since last October and I applied for my test about a month ago.
I haven't been given a date yet, so the car will stay in the garage from tomorrow until I pass my test.
I'm off to buy a bus pass. I'd rather keep my €2,000 and no criminal record thanks.

The fines are large at €1000 each but they're still fixed penalties. No court appearance = no criminal record afaik.

I have to say I'm quite badly affected by this as cancelling my insurance will cost me money in the long term. Also, as I have a parking permit already for work, I can't avail of staff transport outside bus hours. Pi$$take - but I'm still very much in favour of the ne new crackdown, everything that helps stop crap driving helps, even if most of it is done by the fully licensed.

mondeo

I was legaly able to drive on my own when i had a provisional as it was my second provisional.. Now that I have a full license over a year now I have
become much safer as to prevent myself loosing it.
Today in clondalkin I was bothered by a man in front of me driving on his own with his L plates up surprisingly at this point with hours left to go before they are all banned, he could not take off proper without the whole car having a seisure, he bumped his wheels on the round about whilst traveling straight through it on the wrong lane.
That moron I hope gets caught and fined. Total idiot! Some leaner drivers drive ok as I have seen and then alot do not.

People should stop moaning that they cannot drive anymore and just apply for their test and buy a pushbike whilst they wait.

String

Been driving a year and live in a town where there is a heavy guarda presence. Nearly everytime I drive threw my town I see a guarda car. I have never been stopped so I can see why people would take down L plates but I wont be. My work place is like 5min walk and ive no college for summer so I dont think it will affect me too much! I really hope I pass the driving test on 1st August :rolleyes:

NullZer0

mondeo wrote: »

People should stop moaning that they cannot drive anymore and just apply for their test and buy a pushbike whilst they wait.

Another fine example

dlofnep

Thank feck I've my full license test this week.

mondeo

dlofnep wrote: »

Thank feck I've my full license test this week.

Thank feck when ya pass it

ardmacha

The Gardai might usefully check the database of addresses of provisional licence holders and identify cars registered at those addresses with a view to checking who is driving them, especially to identify scofflaws driving unaccompanied without L plates. Similarly they should identify the cars used by those who have failed driving tests and check that these vehicles are not being driven illegally.

But it hardly likely that they will actually do their job for a change.

Alanstrainor

ardmacha wrote: »

The Gardai might usefully check the database of addresses of provisional licence holders and identify cars registered at those addresses with a view to checking who is driving them, especially to identify scofflaws driving unaccompanied without L plates. Similarly they should identify the cars used by those who have failed driving tests and check that these vehicles are not being driven illegally.

But it hardly likely that they will actually do their job for a change.

I dont know what you are suggesting will happen, how will finding out what cars learner drivers drive help? How can they determine if a parked car is being driven illegally?
The gardai will not waste already strained resources on ideas like this.

invincibleirish

ardmacha wrote: »

The Gardai might usefully check the database of addresses of provisional licence holders and identify cars registered at those addresses with a view to checking who is driving them, especially to identify scofflaws driving unaccompanied without L plates. Similarly they should identify the cars used by those who have failed driving tests and check that these vehicles are not being driven illegally.

But it hardly likely that they will actually do their job for a change.

:rolleyes:Wow you really do want a police state dont you?

DRice

Shazbot wrote: »

No minor fines or warnings I'm afraid. A friend of mine decieded to take down his L-plates and got caught driving to work in the early hours of the morning. He's not driving long so it wasn't hard to spot the learner.

He got his car impounded and got slapped with a €1000 fine, points on his license and has to pay a daily fee for the car taking up space in the impound lot. He can't get his car back untill he pays the fees, which is building quickly, and has a fully licensed driver with him to pick up the car.

I've absolutely no sympathy for him. I've noticed alot less L-plates around lately. All my neighbours seemed to have "passed their test" in the last 2 days too. These people have been on provisionals for about 5 years. I hope they get caught too.

this post is made up the law aint in force yet... and Shazbot you are the type of person I despise. The test is ridiculous because no one drives like that. also the public transport system is a joke so its madness to make people get 2 hours bus journeys in the rain when they live 20 minutes in the car from work.
I hope YOU get caught next time you speed/drive recklessley/use your mobile while driving/break a red light

DRice

..

Ciaran500

DRice wrote: »

this post is made up the law aint in force yet...

Law came into force in October(?) for all provisionals except the people on 2nd provs which come into affect tonight.

Alanstrainor

DRice wrote: »

this post is made up the law aint in force yet... and Shazbot you are the type of person I despise. The test is ridiculous because no one drives like that. also the public transport system is a joke so its madness to make people get 2 hours bus journeys in the rain when they live 20 minutes in the car from work.
I hope YOU get caught next time you speed/drive recklessley/use your mobile while driving/break a red light

You obviously haven't read the sticky. The 30th of june deadline only gave 2nd provisional/learner permit drivers an exemption. Those on 1st 3rd and subsequent permits were bound by these laws all along.

o its madness to make people get 2 hours bus journeys in the rain

I dont recall many open top buses in the public transport role?:)
The test covers the basics of driving, such as basic manoeuvring and general driving, how else would you expect to modify the test to be more like every day driving?

Stark

DRice wrote:

The test is ridiculous because no one drives like that.

Speak for yourself.

DRice

Alanstrainor wrote: »

You obviously haven't read the sticky. The 30th of june deadline only gave 2nd provisional/learner permit drivers an exemption. Those on 1st 3rd and subsequent permits were bound by these laws all along.

well they havent been enforcing it , either the guy was all over the road or just very unlucky

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I dont recall many open top buses in the public transport role?:)

you get very wet and cold walking to buses mate at 7 in the morning in November

Alanstrainor wrote: »

The test covers the basics of driving, such as basic manoeuvring and general driving, how else would you expect to modify the test to be more like every day driving?

they could remove the stupid reverse around the corner thing, that freaks everyone out and get away from the ridiculous exaggerated checking of mirrors every 15 seconds that I actually think is quite dangerous and freaks me out even more.

Wishbone Ash

ssmith6287 wrote: »

ssmith6287 - why all the bold type? - please use the 'quote' function

Because evrytime I use the quote function, it quotes the whole thing. sure yis know what im at anyway

But you can delete what you don't want or break it up to target particular bits. It sure beats typing it all out again!

Like this.......

ssmith6287 wrote:

Because evrytime I use the quote function, it quotes the whole thing. sure yis know what im at anyway

and this.......

ssmith6287 wrote:

Because evrytime I use the quote function

and this.........

ssmith6287 wrote:

yis know what im at anyway

Stark

DRice wrote:

they could remove the stupid reverse around the corner thing, that freaks everyone out and get away from the ridiculous exaggerated checking of mirrors every 15 seconds that I actually think is quite dangerous and freaks me out even more.

Checking your mirrors every 15 seconds is not actually a test requirement. It's just something that some Irish instructors tell their students. It's not a matter of how many times you check your mirrors, but a matter of checking your mirrors at the right times.

And the reversing around the corner thing shows the tester a lot about how you handle the car and how you observe things.

Wishbone Ash

DRice wrote: »

they could remove the stupid reverse around the corner thing, that freaks everyone out

It's quite a simple procedure and it doesn't freak everyone out. Some of us had to do it with a 45ft trailer.


It can also be practised over and over again unlike unexpected parts of the test.

Wishbone Ash

Stark wrote: »

Checking your mirrors every 15 seconds is not actually a test requirement. It's just something that some Irish instructors tell their students. It's not a matter of how many times you check your mirrors, but a matter of checking your mirrors at the right times.

Exactly - one can be penalised for overusing mirrors or making exagerated movements when checking them.

Alanstrainor

DRice wrote: »

you get very wet and cold walking to buses mate at 7 in the morning in November

Sorry i was only fooling with you.

DRice wrote: »

they could remove the stupid reverse around the corner thing, that freaks everyone out and get away from the ridiculous exaggerated checking of mirrors every 15 seconds that I actually think is quite dangerous and freaks me out even more.

I would disagree, this part of the test has relevance in parking and general manoeuvring.
That ridiculous checking of the mirrors ensures you know what is around you/behind you at all times. Whether it's cyclists or motorcyclists, it is important.