No "L" Plates

Stark

a) You're not allowed drive a motorbike at 120mph. You're still expected to obey the speed limits.

b) The law can only deal with general cases. You can't expect them to make a special law for someone who "showed up with wrong insurance disc for first test, was sick for second test and is currently waiting on third test", even if they are a great driver.

Wishbone Ash

R_H_C_P wrote: »

What about people who got learner permits in March/april/May etc.?
Suppose they are at fault too ya? :rolleyes:

The regulations haven't changed for those learners.

What is your point?

studiorat wrote: »

I'm allowed ride a motorbike that'll do 120mph not that I would ever. I've gone for my car test twice and both times been unable to sit it 1st time because the Insurance Disc sent to me the day before had the reg number from my old car on it. The second time was due to illness. I've been waiting 3 months at this stage for a third test still no sign of a test date.

I've had a car for nearly 3 years now, no problems ever. I've 10 years experience on the open road and now I can't drive my car unaccompanied. WTF?

I don't understand the point you are making. If you drove on a Full B licence for 40 years and decided to get a Learner Permit in Category C tomorrow, you would be required to be accompanied when driving.

Similarly, up until a few years ago, I had all the licences except for a motorcycle. I decided to go for the A Licence and despite driving for years in different Categories, I had to do the theory test (with all the newbies) before applying for the category A Provisional Licence. I didn't complain about and just got on with it.

Wishbone Ash

Stark wrote: »

a) You're not allowed drive a motorbike at 120mph

He/she means 'capable of' 120mph.

Alanstrainor

Just to note.
There is strictly no swearing on this forum, please keep it clean.

DjDangerousDave

studiorat wrote: »

I'm allowed ride a motorbike that'll do 120mph not that I would ever. I've gone for my car test twice and both times been unable to sit it 1st time because the Insurance Disc sent to me the day before had the reg number from my old car on it. The second time was due to illness. I've been waiting 3 months at this stage for a third test still no sign of a test date.

I've had a car for nearly 3 years now, no problems ever. I've 10 years experience on the open road and now I can't drive my car unaccompanied. WTF?

Did the tester atcually check the insurance disk for the reg number?

Its really difficuly to have any sympathy for you, 10 years driving on a provisional and more than a years notice that this law was going to be enforced. I honestly cant see how anyone can side with you.

Stark

To be fair, 7 of those years were spent driving a motorcycle.

P.C.

R_H_C_P wrote: »

What about people who got learner permits in March/april/May etc.?
Suppose they are at fault too ya? :rolleyes:

See below.

Stark wrote: »

They're still learning to drive so they shouldn't be driving unaccompanied. If they are getting lessons/driving accompanied, then all the best to them and they can post looking for all the advice they want.

You can't complain that you are not allowed to drive unacompanied just because you are a learner driver. Thats the law.
Asking for advice is one thing. Breaking the law is something else alltogther!

Wishbone Ash

DjDangerousDave wrote: »

Did the tester atcually check the insurance disk for the reg number?

They usually do.

My wife wrote off her her car the day before one of her tests. She was given a replacement car by a garage. She pointed out to them that it had no tax disc. They put her tax disc in it :rolleyes:. Needless to say, her test was abandoned.

(Obviously I didn't know about it until I got a tearful phone call!)

DjDangerousDave

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They usually do.

My wife wrote off her her car the day before one of her tests. She was given a replacement car by a garage. She pointed out to them that it had no tax disc. They put her tax disc in it :rolleyes:. Needless to say, her test was abandoned.

(Obviously I didn't know about it until I got a tearful phone call!)

They usually dont. My parents run a driving school and a lot of the time pupils own cars are accetped without the tester checking the tax and insurance status. Espically now during this "amnesty" test as my father calls it.

They are letting people pass who would not of passed 6 months ago.

P.C.

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

They usually do.

My wife wrote off her her car the day before one of her tests. She was given a replacement car by a garage. She pointed out to them that it had no tax disc. They put her tax disc in it :rolleyes:. Needless to say, her test was abandoned.

(Obviously I didn't know about it until I got a tearful phone call!)

I asume that she has a full licence now.

Wishbone Ash

P.C. wrote: »

I asume that she has a full licence now.

Indeed - for many years.

Yakult

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The regulations haven't changed for those learners.

What is your point?

Im just saying not all of us could just sit our test before the deadline with the 6 month driving exp rule. Unfortunly I have to wait till october to sit it when I capable to do so now.

Did 1st provisional's have the 6 month wait?

Alanstrainor

R_H_C_P wrote: »

Did 1st provisional's have the 6 month wait?

No they didn't. Only Learner permits issued since the 30th of October '07 have a 6 month wait.
This whole "why is there a 6 month wait?" has been seen and answered countless times...it's even in the sticky!, so if we could please move the "debate" on, that'd be great.

EDIT: Here's the quote from the sticky.

Q: Why is the six month limitation being applied?

A: The purpose of the provisional licence/learner permit is to allow a learner driver to gain experience of driving. Research shows that the longer a learner is supervised while driving, the less likely s/he is to be involved in an accident. For this reason the six months limitation is being applied.

Zamboni

I work with 5 girls, all of whom are on provisionals and have no intention of stopping driving. All the L plates are gone and I've heard every excuse under the sun from them.

The government are <SNIP>.
I have a right to drive.
They didn't give enough notice.
I am a great driver and I failed because the tester was a <SNIP>.
I won't pay the fine.

Get over it people. Plenty of time to get your act together.

Alanstrainor

Keep it clean lads. Even if you're quoting friends/colleagues.
Strictly no swearing.
Thanks

Wishbone Ash

Zamboni wrote: »

I work with 5 girls, all of whom are on provisionals and have no intention of stopping driving. All the L plates are gone and I've heard every excuse under the sun from them

I also work with a lot of Learner Drivers. When the Minister made the announcement last November, they were furious. I asked them why and they said that the waiting times were so long for a test etc. Funny thing was, none of them had applied for a test!

Zamboni

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Keep it clean lads. Even if you're quoting friends/colleagues.
Strictly no swearing.
Thanks

Apologies.

Hanley

I'm starting to think that the guards are going to look favourably on those who keep their L plates up. There seems to be ALOT of people taking them down.

The Gardai aren't stupid, they know if someone's 17-23 driving a small car there's a high chance they're a learner. Taking your plates down is only going to rag them off and put you in a worse position.

kick-on

every l driver that needed there car for work and was waiting on the test should just sign on the dole, theyd change it then!!!

i know we shoud all have our tests but i got a vomiting bug when i was due to sit mine and re-applied straight away and am still waiting, the waiting times are a joke in fairness

has anyone been fined yet??/

ztoical

kick-on wrote: »

every l driver that needed there car for work and was waiting on the test should just sign on the dole, theyd change it then!!!

have you ever tried to sign on? that system is more messed up then the driving test - you'd have sat the driver test a couple of times before you got saw penny from the dole.

Wishbone Ash

kick-on wrote: »

every l driver that needed there car for work and was waiting on the test should just sign on the dole, theyd change it then!!!

You are obviously not very familiar with our Social Welfare system.

To qualify for Social Welfare, one has to be actively seeking work. The first question you will be asked is why you left you previous job.

doubtfir3

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

To qualify for Social Welfare, one has to be actively seeking work. The first question you will be asked is why you left you previous job.

"I could not remain in that employment because I could not drive. I am now actively seeking employment for which I am suitably qualified which does not require a driving licence, but for some reason am seeing a lot of competition from other drivers in a similar position."

Having said that, to give my own 2c on this..

I have held a Provisional Licence since 1998. Initially I got it for acceptable ID (remember USIT cards which were such a joke that they weren't accepted as valid ID, then you had no garda age cards, and it was unsafe to bring a passport everywhere as proof of id). Then used it to drive on a motorbike in 2000 and then didn't drive for a few years as I went to college and a few more things and so couldn't afford lessons or a car for that matter.. and anyway didn't need it.

I now work, and do need the car, but since Monday the car has been left parked up. Yes, I would love to drive and flout the laws, and take the (seemingly acceptable) Irish approach of "chancing it" but the fact remains that I am legally not entitled to drive unaccompanied.

I don't live in Dublin/Cork/Galway/Limerick etc.. and so don't have the luxury of a bus/train/luas/dart/taxi to bring me everywhere and so walking is the only practical option left to me. I have a lot of reasons for wanting to drive including travel to see friends and family as well as looking around for a house to buy at present.

I applied for my test in September, and got a date in December which I had to cancel as I was away on that date, and got a new date for May which I unfortunately failed. Its a complete hardship *not* driving.. but all it really does is motivate me to pass the test next time.

Having said that, I do believe that the current method of implementation is poor and is stretching an already overburdened driver testing system unreasonably.

A much better method of implementation (in my opinion) would have been phased introduction, with all those on for example 10th or subsequent provisionals being given a test date within 30 days, and then put off the road if they failed, then down to those on 8th-10th provisional tested within the following 30 days.

Overall, it would have taken 6-9 months if it could be implemented in this way and there would be no excuses from those who have been "unfairly" treated as they didn't get their test within the 5/8/10 weeks published.

dr.bollocko

In fairness, anyone on an 8th or 10th provisional licence is just outright abusing the system to avoid a test and should be put off the road anyway.

8th or 10th provisional? That's bloody ridiculous.

Digidaz

I have been driving to work all this week with my Full Licence in my mouth waiting to produce it to the Force if and when required.

As Delia Smith would Say "Lets be having you! "

Where are all the Guards ? At this rate you start to question what was the point. That little piece of Pink Paper that I worked so hard to get and resulted in a grey hair or 2 was for nothing if the guards are never going to request to view it.

At the same time the feeling when u do pass the test is well worth it.

Ps. I have been driving for 5 years and have never been asked to produce my licence or been stoped by a guard.

Snakeblood

dr.bollocko wrote: »

In fairness, anyone on an 8th or 10th provisional licence is just outright abusing the system to avoid a test and should be put off the road anyway.

8th or 10th provisional? That's bloody ridiculous.

My mother was on her 10th until she got it around ten years ago. Couldn't be bothered with it. Most of her friends were doing the same thing too.

Edit: which is to say, it's a good thing the system is changing.

doubtfir3

dr.bollocko wrote: »

In fairness, anyone on an 8th or 10th provisional licence is just outright abusing the system to avoid a test and should be put off the road anyway.

8th or 10th provisional? That's bloody ridiculous.

Not in all cases.

Take my case for example where the provisional was simply the easiest way of offering a valid form of identification (at least in its earlier years). As far as I can recall, mine expired sometime in my early/mid 20s and so was not renewed for a period so I think I'm on my 5th or 6th if I remember correctly.

Although there are plenty of people on provisional licences for long periods who have been 'abusing' the system but I do think that they should be given the opportunity to at least pass their tests under the new system before being put off the road.

mondeo

Did someone once say that the amount of full driving licenses issued should be limited to curb the soaring amount on motorists on the road?

The whole argument on this thread is not really going anywhere, just around and round and round. I'm getting dizzy.

One way or another a law breaker will be caught...You may not get caught
straight of way but eventually you will. It's like playing a game of poker the house always wins.. But you can stop it before it gets out of hand and hang up your keys before you are out of pocket by 1k. GET THE POINT NOT THE POINTS!! Obviously a select few dont get it....

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

ExoduS 18.11

Shazbot wrote: »

I've seen this quite a bit on this forum but beg the question. What differance does it make if you're waiting for your test? You're still breaking the law if you're unaccompanied.

People constantly complain about the adjusted law, accusing it as being unfair and solely targeting learners. True, but this isn't a short them solution to the problem. The way I see it, it's aim is to properly train drivers under the instruction of qualified instructers and create better drivers for the future. Making the roads slightly safer in the future. Something we can all appreciate.

When i can get my test in 2 weeks or less, then i'll only drive accompanied. The fact that someone could have passed there test three days ago , and suddenly is a competent driver is <SNIP>. The reason i think this is because in that very law, it states that a competent driver to accompany a learner is one who has two years experience. A contradiction in itself.
This new "he drives, she dies" campaign makes me sick also.

DRice

ExoduS 18.11 wrote: »

When i can get my test in 2 weeks or less, then i'll only drive accompanied. The fact that someone could have passed there test three days ago , and suddenly is a competent driver is bull****. The reason i think this is because in that very law, it states that a competent driver to accompany a learner is one who has two years experience. A contradiction in itself.
This new "he drives, she dies" campaign makes me sick also.

most intelligent post i have seen in a while, bout sums up this sorry country..add to the that the WORST BY FAR public transport system in the developed world that is enough to just give up the ghost on this place. POP QUIZ HOTSHOTS: Why cant i get a metro from Lucan to Loughlinstown in the mornings thats faster than driving