L-plates, R-plates, provisional licenses

plastic-man

applied for theory and its end of sep, looking at cars atm and i also think ive found one. thing is though i will be commuting from Drumcondra to UCD every morning and ill have my L plates. what are your views on this, as I am aware of the new laws? I hate the bus so much...

Gregor Samsa

I assume you're talking about the accompaniment rule.

If you get caught driving unaccompanied (by a Full Licence holder of at least 2 years standing) on a Learner Permit, you risk a €1000 fine.
If you get caught driving without L plates on a Learner Permit (in order to reduce you're chance of being caught for the above), you risk a further €1000 fine.

Some people say the Guards are taking it easy on Learners and won't bother with them unless they're caught for something else. Others say that they know of Guards clamping down on learners.

As to whether this is an acceptable risk - well, that's up to you. Personally, the chance of being €1000 out of pocket would convince me to stick to the bus until I got the full licence sorted out, but then I'm not actually in your position.

BTW, there are no R plates, nor concrete plans to introduce them, in the Republic.

plastic-man

so you cant get imprisonment or penalty points for driving unaccompanied with your Lplates up?

Mr. Presentable

Take the bus. Getting caught once would pay a lot of bus fares.

Gregor Samsa

plastic-man wrote: »

so you cant get imprisonment or penalty points for driving unaccompanied with your L plates up?

Q: What is the penalty if a learner driver drives unaccompanied?
A: It is a penal offence and is punishable by a fine not exceeding €1,000 for a first offence.

Source: http://www.rsa.ie/Home/upload/File/Changes%20to%20the%20Driver%20Licensing%20System%20Effective%2030%20June%202008%20rev.pdf

No points, no prison just a max €1,000 fine - but as a penal offence it would involve prosecution and a court appearance. I assume that a second or subsequent conviction could see more serious penalties.

craichoe

plastic-man wrote: »

applied for theory and its end of sep, looking at cars atm and i also think ive found one. thing is though i will be commuting from Drumcondra to UCD every morning and ill have my L plates. what are your views on this, as I am aware of the new laws? I hate the bus so much...

I hate this crap .. blah blah blah .. i don't like the bus .. why do i have to wait to pass a test ..

Its so you dont kill yourself !

Gregor Samsa

plastic-man wrote: »

thing is though i will be commuting from Drumcondra to UCD every morning and ill have my L plates. what are your views on this, as I am aware of the new laws? I hate the bus so much...

By the way, since you specifically asked for people's views on this, I agree with craichoe and think that you should comply with the law that has been put in place to help make the roads a safer place for all of us, I think the penalty is fair and I think it should be rigorously enforced.

graduate

One hopes the Gardai will have the wit to set up the odd checkpoint in the vicinity of UCD, DCU etc, as these places will have an above average number of chancers.

And driving across town is not particularly fun in any case.

L-M

Having recenlty passed my test i know what you will go through. But it's painful, and has to be done. When they enforced it, i stopped driving unless i had someone with me or i just had to.
It's hard and has to be done. If it'll be your first time driving i don't reccomend you just hop into your car and start driving in and out to college, get some experience first with a trained professional and go and pass your test.

On the other hand, if you want to drive unaccompanied and therefore breaking the law, so be it. There is no questions on people's views. It is the law.

plastic-man

craichoe wrote: »

I hate this crap .. blah blah blah .. i don't like the bus .. why do i have to wait to pass a test ..

Its so you dont kill yourself !

First of all I'd comment on your observational skills, I never questioned why I had to take a test! Also the system isn't exactly safe, I mean I could pass my theory, get my provisional license and hop into a car with my Dad (having never, ever driven a car before).. Would you consider me safe on the road.. Nah .. I don't exactly feel having a fully licensed driver will stop me from swerving onto a path as, at the end of the day, I'd be in control of the car. Furthermore, one should notice the smell of S**t on the number 11B bus.

blackbox

I sympathise with your dislike of public transport.

I disliked it so much I rode a pushbike across town until I had saved up for a car. I already had passed the test in my parent's car but in the 70s the price of cars and insurance was prohibitive.

If you can't stand public tranport, find an alternative that isn't illegal and doesn't put other road users at risk.

With waiting lists down, you could have your licence within a couple of months.

Seth Brundle

craichoe wrote: »

I hate this crap .. blah blah blah .. i don't like the bus .. why do i have to wait to pass a test ..

Its not like the wait is as long as it used to be
http://www.drivingtest.ie/Stats%20English.pdf

Holsten

Don't do it, it's against the law.

Wossack

blackbox wrote: »

With waiting lists down, you could have your licence within a couple of months.

with the new laws, it'll be a minimum of 6

plastic-man

yeah but so is smuggling smokes.. apparently a learner driver has to have 12 months on road before applying for driving test, Is that Bull**** or true?

L-M

plastic-man wrote: »

yeah but so is smuggling smokes.. apparently a learner driver has to have 12 months on road before applying for driving test, Is that Bull**** or true?

That's bs. You can apply for it day 1, and have it for your six months date. You can have your full licence after you have held your learners permit for 6 months.

The worst of it is yo don't even need to drive. All you have to do is get the licence, do the test, get your full licence and have no more road experience than the lads with six months driving under their belt. It's a system with loop holes.

L1011

Problem is that you apply for a test on day 1, you will almost certainly get called before the 6 months!

L-M

MYOB wrote: »

Problem is that you apply for a test on day 1, you will almost certainly get called before the 6 months!

There's an "Other comments" section where you can write in the date when you reached your learners permit and when you a eligble to to the test.

Edit: My friend actually had to get the test changed three times before they actually gave him one outside his six months. The second one was 3 days before it, and he wouldn't of been allowed do the test. Bad form lol

Esel

Belfield (U.C.D.) is serviced by the following routes : 10 10a 11 11b 15x 17 2 25x 27x 3 32x 39b 39x 41x 46a 46b 46d 46n 46x 49x 50x 58x 65x 66x 70x 77x 84x.

If you hate the 11B so much, fuppin' get a different bus! And if by Sh!t you mean dope - stay downstairs! Admittedly not all of these buses travel via the city centre, but some do. You have a choice of buses from Cavendish Row/Parnell Sq. East, and could use a 90-minute ticket. For a person who is planning to go to college, what you seem to be planning is nothing short of incredibly stupid. Don't bother replying - I am not interested.

Alanstrainor

Just to clarify a few things.
1. They no longer hand out "provisional licenses", since the 31st of October 2007 you receive a "learner Permit".
2. As stated, you may apply for your test before the 6 months, however on the day of your test you must have held your permit for at least 6 months
3. There are no "R" plates, once you pass the driving test and receive your license, you are deemed to be a fully licensed driver, ie, no restrictions.

L-M

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Just to clarify a few things.
1. They no longer hand out "provisional licenses", since the 31st of October 2007 you receive a "learner Permit".
2. As stated, you may apply for your test before the 6 months, however on the day of your test you must have held your permit for at least 6 months
3. There are no "R" plates, once you pass the driving test and receive your license, you are deemed to be a fully licensed driver, ie, no restrictions.

And i think that raps up everything we need to say. Nicely put

plastic-man

esel wrote: »

Belfield (U.C.D.) is serviced by the following routes : 10 10a 11 11b 15x 17 2 25x 27x 3 32x 39b 39x 41x 46a 46b 46d 46n 46x 49x 50x 58x 65x 66x 70x 77x 84x.

If you hate the 11B so much, fuppin' get a different bus! And if by Sh!t you mean dope - stay downstairs! Admittedly not all of these buses travel via the city centre, but some do. You have a choice of buses from Cavendish Row/Parnell Sq. East, and could use a 90-minute ticket. For a person who is planning to go to college, what you seem to be planning is nothing short of incredibly stupid. Don't bother replying - I am not interested.

"not interested"? thats only because you dont believe in your argument. I've worked hard all summer for this, now I have money and am getting a car, buses are disgusting, smelly, infection-creeping bricks on the road, driven by (in general) obnoxious people. Il gladly get caught in traffic, with my own tunes on, enjoy the bus though :P

L-M

plastic-man wrote: »

"not interested"? thats only because you dont believe in your argument. I've worked hard all summer for this, now I have money and am getting a car, buses are disgusting, smelly, infection-creeping bricks on the road, driven by (in general) obnoxious people. Il gladly get caught in traffic, with my own tunes on, enjoy the bus though :P

But like i had to wait six months, and so with everyone else, i'm afraid so do you. I worked hard to get my car, but i still had to wait. It's the law, you have no choice but to obey it. Unless you want to write a big long letter and try get the law changed, i'd advise you just let time take it's course. And in the six months, make sure to take lesson and get a much experience as you can with a full licenced driver.

Best of luck

Alanstrainor

This is ridiculous, just because you have worked all summer and can afford a car you think you're entitled to break the law, and risk harming yourself and others. I think you need to take a moment to think about what exactly you're saying.
Get lessons, apply for your test and you could well have a full license in 6 months.

plastic-man

Alanstrainor wrote: »

This is ridiculous, just because you have worked all summer and can afford a car you think you're entitled to break the law, and risk harming yourself and others. I think you need to take a moment to think about what exactly you're saying.
Get lessons, apply for your test and you could well have a full license in 6 months.

"entitled to break the law", oh did i say that? obviously not! I personally feel it is a risk I am willing to take, and I will (with my learners permit) drive on my own at a stage where i feel i am able to drive safe. "risk of harming others" .. this wasn't always the way, Alanstrainor, people could drive unaccompanied years ago, has operating a car in recent times become more dangerous? (rhetorical question , but ill answer anyway)
No it hasn't, now all cars have more secure seat-belts and airbags.. although this is slightly off the thread topic..

Alanstrainor

plastic-man wrote: »

"entitled to break the law", oh did i say that?

Your whole thread revolves around breaking the law. You said, in this post:

it is a risk I am willing to take, and I will (with my learners permit) drive on my own

!!!!

Alanstrainor, people could drive unaccompanied years ago

No they could not, only those on second provisionals could drive unaccomp.

has operating a car in recent times become more dangerous?

It has always been dangerous.

now all cars have more secure seat-belts and airbags..

Yes, and this will help a pedestrian if you are unfortunate enough to misjudge a corner and end up on a path??
Really OP, i can't understand your rational.

challengemaster

plastic-man wrote: »

"entitled to break the law", oh did i say that? obviously not! I personally feel it is a risk I am willing to take, and I will (with my learners permit) drive on my own at a stage where i feel i am able to drive safe. "risk of harming others" .. this wasn't always the way, Alanstrainor, people could drive unaccompanied years ago, has operating a car in recent times become more dangerous? (rhetorical question , but ill answer anyway)
No it hasn't, now all cars have more secure seat-belts and airbags.. although this is slightly off the thread topic..

This may count as personal abuse, but you are an idiot. The law is the law, it doesn't matter what it WAS, it's what it is now that you and everyone else has to follow. Cop on before you kill someone else. I personally don't care if you kill yourself, as that's darwinism, but there's no reason someone else should die because of your stupidity.

Toots

I thought you had to have had a minimum of ten lessons or something like that before you'd be allowed to do your test? Did I imagine that?

Alanstrainor

Toots85 wrote: »

I thought you had to have had a minimum of ten lessons or something like that before you'd be allowed to do your test? Did I imagine that?

No, this is not the case. Lessons are not obligatory...unfortunately...

eringobragh

challengemaster wrote: »

This may count as personal abuse, but you are an idiot. The law is the law, it doesn't matter what it WAS, it's what it is now that you and everyone else has to follow. Cop on before you kill someone else. I personally don't care if you kill yourself, as that's darwinism, but there's no reason someone else should die because of your stupidity.

Second that...Plastic-man you've earned to put it mildly....the title 'Idiot of the Month' in my books.

plastic-man

Is it called "taking words out of context" when you do that? think so.. anyone can dissect an argument to make someone else look like an idiot.. come on! I said ,and if it wasnt clear enough I apologise for seeming ignorant, that i will drive when i feel I am not a threat to other drivers OR PEDESTRIANS. anyway your always going to be a threat be that, singing, tiredness, smoking, or just not having your mind on driving.. time is certainly not going to make you a super safe driver because when you think about it, someone can still go for a test having never ever driven before..