Crackdown on learner drivers

You are oversimplifying things. You take only deaths. You know that it is not always people responsible for an accident that dies.

There is no discussion that leaners driving on their own should be stopped. The goal of this scheme is to have new drivers learning from an experienced driver. When they drive on their own, they take wrong habits that creates accidents.

There's no such thing as a learner license. It's a permit. Subtle difference, but important. Learner permits are only for driving alongside a licenced driver.

The clancy amendment has been one of the best ideas yet, and it should be expanded.

There's a reason they're called "N for numpty" in our house! I see similar incidents on a regular basis.

There's no guarantee that the drivers of these N-plated cars are actually "N drivers". There's plenty of completely incompetent fully-licensed drivers out there doing stuff like this on a daily basis, and there's no reason to think that they're not just driving a car with N plates on it on account of someone else in the family recently passing the test.

In the Northern Ireland, R plates have to be removed or covered when the car is being driven by someone other than the Restricted driver that is required to display them, but there's no such requirement here (and it's the same for L plates).

I was a few cars behind a l driver the other day. The driver managed to stall a car turning left a t junction that didn’t require them to stop. They stop about a little into it and the back of the car was still sticking out on the road. It was a country road which they could see around and the corner so no need to stop. Lucky the car behind didn’t rear end them. They managed to get going again after 10 seconds or so. It wasn’t in an instructors car but whoever was in the passenger seats I assume.

What's the data on number disqualified drivers and drivers with no [permit/licence/tax/insurance/NCT]?

IIRC the disqualified ar 280,000 l

It is crazy to see cars with both N and L plates displayed and often being driven by the parent. The relevant plate should be displayed while that driver is at the wheel and either removed or covered when driven by another person. N drivers are often the most dangerous and tend to tail gate.

I thought you could only postpone the test twice so how can many keep getting their LP renewed without doing a test

There is a lot of older drivers who think they own the road, assume full licence, don't care for other road users

L drivers are a very easy target, it's the road equivalent of blaming foreigners or taxing the rich, i.e. impact someone other than me.

Halfords sell magnetic L plates.

(eta - thats not a recommendation, just an observation. I don't know how good they are).

How? Really?!

You admit yourself that you have partial data and yet, you are able to say L drivers are safer.
If that’s the case, it means drivers are getting worse with experience.

Your conclusion would also question if the driving test is needed. Do you think by doing that we would reduce fatalities on the road?

Your posts are just ridiculous now. Driving is a skill like any other. You get better (aka learning) by doing.

Why do you think car insurance is higher for new drivers and gets lower as you get more driving years?

Do you also suggest they are wrong in their business plan?

Far too many experienced drivers in this country are pretty **** and have all the bad habits we don't want for learners so we are goosed either way

Of course it can be an educated discussion. For instance, instead of searching for the number of deaths of L drivers in Ireland, you could have simply search studies about road traffic accidents by age group. You would have found several studies and even a page from the European Commission that would have answered your question.

This issue is not beyond human ingenuity. a tablet sized panel that you can turn on an off, for instance. In this day and age these could have RFID information. You could even have other letters, A for Arsehole, B for Bollix etc. then if you had a certain number of offences but were not yet suspended you could be obliged to have a A plate.

I believe this is the issue here. I’ve lived in my house for 12 years and in all that time, my neighbour has L plates on her car (she lives alone and doesn’t have family). I can only conclude that the reason she has not been questioned by Garda is because they presume the L plate is for someone else in her family, as she is in her 50s/60s.

I’ve had the privilege of driving behind her some mornings and believe me, this woman should not be on the roads.

I agree that the stickers should only be on when the person that needs them is driving.

The media creates click bait and you've taken it hook line and sinker here.

I'd expect learner drivers to factor less in accidents and deaths due a various factors like being under instruction and observation, limited opportunities to drive etc. Just because they are lower in the stats does not imply they are safer. They aren't doing the same kind of driving or as much of it.

The point is to reduce all accidents and really the only valid comparison of L drivers is other L drivers.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-30831609.html#:~:text=%22On%20average%20twelve%20learners%20are,involved%20in%20a%20fatal%20crash%20.

Ultimately the aim is to improve road safety. If every demographic isn't willing to act on it, regardless of how bad or good they are, then it won't improve..

Every car with N and L plates should be pulled over. A novice can't accompany a learner. Only defence for display of these is if the driver is Dutch

When I see an L plate I automatically adapt my driving to accommodate the learner, I just don’t get people’s impatience with people in the learning process, we were all there. I do have impatience for people on their phones and taking the p1ss on the road.

I do know of one older driver a good few years ago that had a full license but had L plates up as they felt it meant other drivers would give them a break/be more forgiving of their subpar driving.