Any provisional drivers caught yet?

[briancbyrne]

I understand what you're saying and this is why the government did a total u-turn 6-8 months ago whenever it was - learner drivers have had that long to get off their arses and learn how to drive - this did NOT sneak up on anyone did it? Surely to goodness 6-8 months is more than enough time to apply and pass a test isnt it?

I agree with you.
However - there seems to be a lack of a level playing field with regard to the testing. For example - I was speaking with a driving instructer who is telling all of the students (particularly males) if they have an appointment with one of the oldd gov accessment centres to cancel it and try get one with the new private centres.

Also he hasnt had a fail in 6 days - something he has never seen before.
His colleagues also have seen a huge upsurge in pass rates in the past 4 weeks.
Call me suspicious but somenthing doesnt seem right here.

 

[Peeete]

Just because you need a car doesn't automatically entitle you top drive one! If for example you leave school at 16 and get a job as an apprentice and you are working in the country. Using the above logic, they too should be allowed to drive.

 

[briancbyrne]

Just because you need a car doesn't automatically entitle you top drive one! If for example you leave school at 16 and get a job as an apprentice and you are working in the country. Using the above logic, they too should be allowed to drive.

C'mon Peete - think your just pickn a fight !!

 

[Peeete]

I agree with you.
However - there seems to be a lack of a level playing field with regard to the testing. For example - I was speaking with a driving instructer who is telling all of the students (particularly males) if they have an appointment with one of the oldd gov accessment centres to cancel it and try get one with the new private centres.

Also he hasnt had a fail in 6 days - something he has never seen before.
His colleagues also have seen a huge upsurge in pass rates in the past 4 weeks.
Call me suspicious but somenthing doesnt seem right here.

This is a completely different issue - this is one on the standard of testing and the above is simply anecdotal.

 

[Peeete]

C'mon Peete - think your just pickn a fight !!

As I said earlier, I do feel sorry for people in this situation. Its just a mad situation that had to change at some time. unfortunately as with most transitions - they cause pain to some. But it should improve things in the future.

 

[llbedford]

so... has anyone been stopped yet??

 

[llbedford]

by the gardai? on the road? provisional licence?

 

[shesells]

According to the radio this morning there were a number of checkpoints in Dublin and people with L plates and young looking drivers were being stopped.

I still saw 10 unaccompanied drivers with L plates today. But it's about 1/4 of the normal number so that's a lot of plates taken down. Worth risking a €1,000 fine for being caught without L plates on top of the fine for driving unaccompanied? Each to their own I guess.

 

[ACA]

Coming originally from the UK, it took me a long time to get my head round the things that provisional licence holders could get away with. Where else could you take your test, fail and then get in your car to drive home, alone? ......only in Ireland!

Whilst I do sympathise with people who live out in the sticks and have a poor/nonexistant public transport system....how did they manage to get around before they got a car?

As pointed out in earlier posts, this day has been coming for a while - Gaybo wasn't going to leave this fall by the wayside!

Working for an insurance company looking after claims - I've been told that initially whether or not we indemnify a provisional licence holder in the event of a mishap, (accident/malicious damage/theft etc) will be dealt with on a claim-by-claim basis.

I believe that it'll all come down to how hard the gardai push to prosecute, because if the insurer refuses to indemnify the driver, they could get done for no insurance too. Tricky days ahead.

 

[Furze]

I still saw 10 unaccompanied drivers with L plates today. But it's about 1/4 of the normal number so that's a lot of plates taken down. Worth risking a €1,000 fine for being caught without L plates on top of the fine for driving unaccompanied? Each to their own I guess.

I've a full licence - daughter has L plate on my car - do I have to take down when driving alone ?

 

[tink]

Hi, I am affected by this too but the guards say there will be no crackdown and I actually think it makes sense! I was talking to a German friend of mine who was living here and she couldn't believe the rules here, in Germany the average person takes 42 hours of driving lessons, I told her most people here went for their test after 10 lessons and she was appalled ! Looking at the quality of driving on the road maybe she was right?

 

[shesells]

Furze - Haven't seen it mentioned anywhere. I think a poster on another thread mentioned that in Australia you get done for driving with L plates if you're not a learner.

Personally I would take the plates down when you're driving - you don't need the extra attention they might bring either from the Gardai or other drivers. I used to use Velcro dot fixers, one in each corner so I could take my plates on and off back in my learner days.

Tink - a lot of people don't have any official lessons when going for a test, many have lots more than 10. Not sure where you're pulling the figure of 10 from, I've never heard it before?

 

[paddyd]

so... has anyone been stopped yet??

48 posts of the usual he-said/she-said, and no-one has actually posted on-topic. Not even me.

Which proabbly means that no-one was 'caught' and the Guards (as they said at the weekend) are taking a common sense approach to this rule.

It should be on the Penalty Points list as opposed to a €1000 fine thats impossible to impose. No judge will uphold it.

 

[shesells]

Check out my post #48 - I was referring to the Live Drive programme on Dublin City FM. At several points during this morning's show the presenter referred to cars with L plates being pulled in by the Gardai (they could see them on the traffic cameras). So yes, some people have been stopped.

 

[starlite68]

its strange how we go about solving our problems here in ireland, its on record that learner drivers are only involved in a very small pecentage of road accidents...the vast majority of accidents are by those holding a full licence..........so what do we do...put the L drivers off the road,,,and give the others a clap on the back!!!

 

[smythy]

This provisional thing drives me nuts (no pun intended!!).

I could understand the uproar six months ago when the clamp down was first suggested. Provisional drivers should never have been allowed to drive on their own, but the Gardai turned a blind eye for years so the public had a legitimate expectation that that would continue. But these drivers were given six months as some breathing space. Get it together!

Yes we were given six months to "get it together" but you obviously dont understand the full application process. Ok so when you decide i need to start driving, first there is the waiting to get an appointment for the theory test which i did, providing you pass this then you must send away for your provisional licence which uses more time and THEN you must wait 6 MONTHS b4 you can even apply to do your driving test which is a vital piece of information some people here are forgetting!!! i sent away and got my provisional in febuary which means i cant do my test until august! So how do you suggest i get to and from work for the next month!!! Its not like i go "spinning" i need to drive soley for work! Is there anyone here would like to get up at 7 every morning and accompany me.... i dont think so!! I think its ridculous and im one of the people who now have to dread driving to work for fear of a fine which is probably more then a few weeks wages!!

There should defo be exceptions made, obviously i agree with taking young reckless unaccompanied provisional drivers off the road but thats as far as i agree with it!

Angry girl in Mayo,18

 

[cnu]

Angry Girl,

You are not alone. I'm angry too, I walked a hell lotta distance today for my train just that I dint wanna miss an important meeting. I'm gonna remove my L plate tomorrow before I drive, or I have to stop working

if they have told 8 months back, they should have made avenues to accomodate/provision to speed up whoever applied

 

[shesells]

Hold on a second Smythy - you're ignoring the fact that if you only got your learner permit (provisonals ceased to exist last year) in February and have been driving unaccompanied since then you were then breaking the law and liable for the same fine then as you are today. The only additional risk now is the fine for non-display of L plates.

Your issue with the 6 months mandatory time gap between getting the permit and applying for your test is a separate one altogether.

Cnu - the average waiting time now for tests is 7 weeks. I waited 14 months! So if you applied for your test 8 months ago when they announced the clamp down they would surely have got around to you by now?

 

[europhile]

its strange how we go about solving our problems here in ireland, its on record that learner drivers are only involved in a very small pecentage of road accidents...the vast majority of accidents are by those holding a full licence..........so what do we do...put the L drivers off the road,,,and give the others a clap on the back!!!

You are, of course, joking about this. I hope.

 

[Slaphead]

I've said it before and ill say it again, this new law is unfair in Ireland as there arnt other options available to a vast majority of ppl.
I've a full licence and lived 11 yrs in Sweden where this law has been in force longer than anyone can remember but the difference there is that there are other options. I used to get up in the morning and decide how to travel depending on my mood, bike, train, bus, car or a combination of the above! I could go weeks without driving. Since i moved back last summer i've barely had a full 24hrs without driving.

It's just impracticle in this country and all those on their high horses thinking this is great should try a month or even a week without a car and get back to us.