provisional license

shane0312 · 31-05-2005 2:37pm #1

I have a provisional license and am insured as a named driver on my mam's car. Could someone tell me whether or not my insurance is void if I Drive on my own without someone with a full license in the car with me?

Citizen_Erased · 31-05-2005 2:39pm

If on the license beside cars in restrictions there are the numbers 999 then you cannot by law drive without a qualified driver any way

seamus · 31-05-2005 2:41pm

No, it's not void unless the insurance policy says it is.

You are liable to prosecution though.

Funkstard · 31-05-2005 3:18pm

Everyone does it. None of my friends have ever been told to stop driving when the mofo's stopped them and they were by themselves in the car

jhegarty · 31-05-2005 3:19pm

shane0312 wrote:

I have a provisional license and am insured as a named driver on my mam's car. Could someone tell me whether or not my insurance is void if I Drive on my own without someone with a full license in the car with me?

your insurance is fine...

but the cops could take you to court (they won't, but they could)....

CTU_Agent · 31-05-2005 3:22pm

jhegarty wrote:

your insurance is fine...

but the cops could take you to court (they won't, but they could)....

I was taken to court for this very same thing...some insurance companies make you sign a form in the beginning saying you wont drive unaccompanied etc...besides that its against the law and dangerous...

Nuttzz · 31-05-2005 3:38pm

CTU_Agent wrote:

...dangerous...

How exactly? What is a passanger with a full licence going to do to avoid a crash, other than give some advice?

Citizen_Erased · 31-05-2005 3:43pm

Make sure they signal properly , dont go up a one way system , get lost in traffic calming , judging distances at junctions , changing lanes at roundabouts etc.. - such a long list that a qualified driver can help on

CTU_Agent · 31-05-2005 3:49pm

Nuttzz wrote:

How exactly? What is a passanger with a full licence going to do to avoid a crash, other than give some advice?

Thats how!! :rolleyes:

CTU_Agent · 31-05-2005 3:50pm

Funkstard wrote:

Everyone does it.

Oh everyone does it.... Well that must be ok then! :mad:

Nuttzz · 31-05-2005 3:52pm

like that happens...everyone loves a back seat driver.

Make sure they signal properly , dont go up a one way system , get lost in traffic calming , judging distances at junctions , changing lanes at roundabouts etc.. - such a long list that a qualified driver can help on

thats what driving instructors are for, not your mother you got her licence through the provisional licence amnesty years ago......

dawballz · 31-05-2005 3:54pm

Citizen_Erased wrote:

Make sure they signal properly , dont go up a one way system , get lost in traffic calming , judging distances at junctions , changing lanes at roundabouts etc.. - such a long list that a qualified driver can help on

So what's the definition of a qualified driver?
My father didn't even have to do a test, and he has a full license.
Is he a qualified driver?

Anyway, the gardai can't enforce this law, in fairness.
The waiting list for most tests is >8 weeks, some places I've heard(though might not be true) up to a year.

Citizen_Erased · 31-05-2005 3:55pm

So now your saying the prov license should be changed so you can only go outdriving with qualified instructors?

Nuttzz · 31-05-2005 3:58pm

from www.drivingtest.ie

Average For All Centres 54.0% (pass rate) 39.3 (waiting time in weeks)

Loughrea has a waiting time of 14 weeks
Dungravan has a waiting time of 61 weeks

commited · 31-05-2005 4:03pm

The easy and proper answer to this is don't drive on your own.
It's illegal and it's disgusting that someone can hop in a car over here with no driving experience and drive on their own, without even fearing that they will be caught. I'd love to see a clamp down on this and learners who drive on the motorway.
Your parents should be responsible enough not to let you drive unaccompanied.

dawballz · 31-05-2005 4:07pm

Nuttzz wrote:

from www.drivingtest.ie

Average For All Centres 54.0% (pass rate) 39.3 (waiting time in weeks)

Loughrea has a waiting time of 14 weeks
Dungravan has a waiting time of 61 weeks

Yeah sorry.. I didn't want to over exaggerate without the facts but there they are

. The GF has her test booked in Loughrea actually. Booked it about 2-3 weeks ago so we'll see how she gets on.

It simply isn't possible to have a "qualified" driver beside you all the time.
The GF is in Galway. Her parents are in Kilkenny. Do you think she is going to give them a call and say "Come up to Galway so I can take the car out to go for a McDonalds".
I don't.
It's a ridiculous law.

fletch · 31-05-2005 4:08pm

Nuttzz wrote:

from www.drivingtest.ie

Average For All Centres 54.0% (pass rate) 39.3 (waiting time in weeks)

Loughrea has a waiting time of 14 weeks
Dungravan has a waiting time of 61 weeks

I can't stop laughin at the maps to the test centres on a goverment official website....it looks like a kid doodling in MS paint
Check out the map to finglas

sceptre · 31-05-2005 4:13pm

Citizen_Erased wrote:

So now your saying the prov license should be changed so you can only go outdriving with qualified instructors?

I don't think anyone said anything of the sort but now that you mention it, I'd happily support this at least during an initial period. And re-testing every few years while we're at it.

Nuttzz · 31-05-2005 4:17pm

commited wrote:

Your parents should be responsible enough not to let you drive unaccompanied.

mmmm not every learner driver is a kid...I have a 35 year old friend who is just learning to drive. His 70 year old mother will be a great help to him when he's out driving...

Citizen_Erased · 31-05-2005 4:56pm

Doesnt matter what your age , your as much a beginner as an 18 year old and just as liable to an accident.

Nuttzz · 31-05-2005 5:34pm

Citizen_Erased wrote:

Doesnt matter what your age , your as much a beginner as an 18 year old and just as liable to an accident.

I agree with you, I was just pointing out that not every L driver is a 17-18 year old living at home

interesting and mildly related article

http://www.topgear.com/content/features/stories/140clarkson/01/

commited · 31-05-2005 11:44pm

Nuttzz wrote:

mmmm not every learner driver is a kid...I have a 35 year old friend who is just learning to drive. His 70 year old mother will be a great help to him when he's out driving...

I realise that, but is he insured under his mothers name?

commited · 31-05-2005 11:47pm

dawballz wrote:

It's a ridiculous law.

Why is it? Why should someone be able to hop into a car with absolutely no knowledge and drive a car on their own with no formal instruction?
As far as I know, every other European country is the same. The makes a RIDICULOUS amount of sense. You arent qualified to drive on your own, thus you shouldn't.

dawballz · 31-05-2005 11:50pm

commited wrote:

Why is it? Why should someone be able to hop into a car with absolutely no knowledge and drive a car on their own with no formal instruction?
As far as I know, every other European country is the same. The makes a RIDICULOUS amount of sense. You arent qualified to drive on your own, thus you shouldn't.

Umm driver theory test doesn't count then, no?

commited · 01-06-2005 12:07am

dawballz wrote:

Umm driver theory test doesn't count then, no?

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

You cant read a book and know how to drive.

dawballz · 01-06-2005 12:28am

commited wrote:

ARE YOU SERIOUS?

You cant read a book and know how to drive.

Yeah, and someone can't just tell you how to drive either.
Practice makes perfect.

astec123 · 01-06-2005 12:39am

The point is that a qualified driver has had proper practice, and in theory drives the car as per the requirements of the test, so they know how to drive, a provis driver is a noob and has no skill or knowledge. I accept it seems silly but its the law. I know of racing drivers that have no licence to drive a car etc. But the law is there to protect you and everyone else. The idea of the fully licenced driver is based upon the fact that if is required the noob can switch if they cannot hack it. No driver is perfect, I remember my instructor took me home after the first lesson and did everything wrong, but the idea of the co-pilot is to be there to assist you. I totally disagree with the 2nd year of a provis licence where the licencee can drive freely, but then the 3rd year they are back to basics, it makes no sense.

The laws are there, obey them, little more, complain, campaign etc, but dont risk my life or yours. Simple really.

Guy:Incognito · 01-06-2005 12:45am

dawballz wrote:

It's a ridiculous law.

No, it's a perfectly good law, the law that akllows provisional licensed drivers to drive a car outside of actually learning to drive (being thought) is th eridiculous law.

Guy:Incognito · 01-06-2005 12:49am

dawballz wrote:

Umm driver theory test doesn't count then, no?

And heres me reading the soccer forum everyday, and guess what, no £50,000 a week contract from Liverpool has dropped through the door yet. Do these people not realise I've been reading about football for years so it would stand to reason I'm great at it. :rolleyes:

commited · 01-06-2005 1:08am

dawballz wrote:

Yeah, and someone can't just tell you how to drive either.
Practice makes perfect.

And you can practice with a fully qualified driver with you. If you have no fully qualified driver available, then you can pay for lessons like the rest of us.

astec123 wrote:

I totally disagree with the 2nd year of a provis licence where the licencee can drive freely, but then the 3rd year they are back to basics, it makes no sense.

The laws are there, obey them, little more, complain, campaign etc, but dont risk my life or yours. Simple really.

Agree on both points.

dawballz · 01-06-2005 1:36am

astec123 wrote:

The point is that a qualified driver has had proper practice, and in theory drives the car as per the requirements of the test, so they know how to drive, a provis driver is a noob and has no skill or knowledge. I accept it seems silly but its the law. I know of racing drivers that have no licence to drive a car etc. But the law is there to protect you and everyone else. The idea of the fully licenced driver is based upon the fact that if is required the noob can switch if they cannot hack it. No driver is perfect, I remember my instructor took me home after the first lesson and did everything wrong, but the idea of the co-pilot is to be there to assist you. I totally disagree with the 2nd year of a provis licence where the licencee can drive freely, but then the 3rd year they are back to basics, it makes no sense.

The laws are there, obey them, little more, complain, campaign etc, but dont risk my life or yours. Simple really.

What is your definition of a qualified driver?
My father has been driving for I don't know how many years(a lot), he has a full license but never did a test. I know plenty of others who are in the same boat.

A new driver is a cautious one imo.
When I got my bike, for the first few months, I was very nervous, which is a good thing imo.
A "qualified" driver could put me under pressure. I know for sure that if my father was in the seat beside me while I was driving, I wouldn't be very happy.
He just wouldn't have the patience.

What about a motorbike? Since it's illegal to carry a pillion passenger(afaik) on a prov. license, are they exempt from this law?

provisional license

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