Crackdown on Prov License Drivers - Will it stick?

S

Sn@kebite

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Is this a new safety measure or just another revenue opportunity?
Or will it die out like it had for a while.

Can I learn in another country?
Anywhere I can get more info on these new activities and the new learner document?
Usless tv3 news don't explain anything.
 
may not be answering your questions Snakebite but on the issue Ive just spent 2 hours driving home from work via the M50 on a provisional licence without a fully licenced driver beside me and spent the time tuning in and out of current affairs programs and to say I'm quietly fuming at the developments is an understatement.
I'm sure there are tens of thousands of people in the same boat as myself driving on a provisional to and from work (without choice), needing my car for work, who if banned due to this illogical process faces losing thier job and therefore not being able to make mortgage payments and therefore losing thier home.
Now I know there are some there who will likely quip that I should have a full licence but to listen to the sanctimonious figure head that is Gay Byrne prattle on with his "holier than thou" rhetoric about measures which are unenforceable, illogical and downright insulting has angered me, especially given the fact that the man drives daily and has never sat a driving test - but thats another issue.
Enough is enough - I've drafted a letter to the local TD's to question thier stance on the measures - its time that those in authority realise how these "sound bites" effect the everyday hard working, law abiding tax paying public. - I'm sure everybody who views this site has somebody related to them adversly affected by this nonsence - I'm wondering if people are happy to accept these changes with the usuall Irish responce of an initial outburst of disbelief shortly followed by a shirk of the shoulders as its forgotten about?
 
briancbyrne said:
I'm sure there are tens of thousands of people in the same boat as myself driving on a provisional to and from work (without choice), needing my car for work, who if banned due to this illogical process faces losing thier job and therefore not being able to make mortgage payments and therefore losing thier home.
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Why are you 'without choice'?
Can you not take your driving test? Or use public transport?
 
I think these are valid points - and agree that learner driver shouldn't be driving around on their own (I am one so I can say that!) but this is only enforceable IF YOU CAN GET A DRIVING TEST DATE. I would be a qualified driver 100 times over if i could just start taking the test. In Australia -I had a learner licence, you could do the test today - fail it and take it again tomorrow - you just had to drive on the learner licence for six months first, this is why I didn't take my test there. Meaning you could keep at it till you pass. I have failed my test - reapplied the next day and waited months and month for another test (still waiting by the way).

Snakebite you can learn to drive in another country - get your licence and convert it over here. Not every country though - check the Dept. of Env website to find out which ones.
 
truthseeker said:
Why are you 'without choice'?
Can you not take your driving test? Or use public transport?
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driving without choice - I need it for my job

Public transport - in this country?? - its a joke - I worked it out - If I were to take public transport to work it would take me approx 7 hrs round trip a day... If there was an efficient public transport system in this country then thse measures might seem more realistic but if there is no choice but to drive......
 
briancbyrne - I assume you mean you need to drive to get to work (judging by what you say about public transport).

Theres always a bicycle.

Thouands of workers get to work everyday in ways other than driving themselves.

There is always a choice, but you may not like the alternatives, such as public transport or via bicycle. You could always get a job thats easier to get to?

When is your next driving test date?
 
The government have probably realised how much money other countries make out of speed cameras (like the UK) and want to cash in. They have to make up the taxes somehow, and what better method than an extra tax on commuters. I wonder what the fine for L drivers, driving unaccompanied will be?

They make out they're doing something about road deaths, while cashing in. A win-win situation for the government.

I'd like to see them addressing the issues that cause the accidents in the first place. How about;

- Proper, subsidised rail links to give people a choice of method of travel.
- Investigate causes of crashes, and see what's significant.

No money to be made in those suggestions though!

I'm wondering if people are happy to accept these changes with the usuall Irish responce of an initial outburst of disbelief shortly followed by a shirk of the shoulders as its forgotten about?
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This is what I believe will happen too.
 
leghorn said:
I'd like to see them addressing the issues that cause the accidents in the first place.
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they are addressing the issues and these measures bring us (belatedly) towards best international practice:
-young drivers on provisional licences are a major cause of accidents
-speed cameras reduce speeding and if you break the limit why shouldn't you pay the fine?
-reducing the drink driving limit also saves lives

briancbyrne said:
yes I have - waiting, and waiting, and waiting on a resit
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the situation where you can fail a test (i.e. are unfit to drive) and can get into a car and drive off badly needed to be addressed. the new private testing centres will have reduced the waiting lists by the time the legislation comes into force.
 
webtax said:
the new private testing centres will have reduced the waiting lists by the time the legislation comes into force.
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Actually they have already reduced waiting time considerably - mr. truthseeker only started driving in april and is now a fully licensed driver, having taken two tests since april this year. The second one was one of the private testing centres.
 
But not everywhere in the country has benefited from the waiting times being reduced.
There are still areas with 35 weeks waiting times.
 
our average waiting time per region is:

· North Leinster........ 28 weeks
· South Leinster...... . 22 weeks
· West...................34 weeks
· North West........... 13 weeks
· South East.............23 weeks
· South West............28 weeks

from the rsa, this wont be enforced til these are at 10 weeks imho
 
-young drivers on provisional licences are a major cause of accidents
Click to expand...

Okay, so we'll just take these people off the roads then, shall we? They can walk to work. Problem solved :rolleyes:

-speed cameras reduce speeding and if you break the limit why shouldn't you pay the fine?
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Do they really reduce speeding? I don't think they do. Why hasn't speeding been eliminated in the UK with all the cameras they have?

In the UK, in 2004, £112million was generated from speed cameras.
[broken link removed]

This is certainly a step back.

A council has slashed its funding for speed cameras after claiming they had become more about making money than saving lives.
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Source: http://tinyurl.com/2vxznv
 
Who is going to give up two years of their lives to be available 24 hours a day to accompany learner drivers? Take, for example,the parent who has to leave for work at 7.30am.Son,or daughter or even partner, has to be at work at 10 in a different direction,not served by public transport,20 miles away.The waiting time for test is 9 months.Who gives up their job to be available to accompany?And what happens if theres more than one learner driver in the family?Or the learner doesn't have someone,family or other, who can accompany them? Are some people destined to never be allowed to drive in this country?
Perhaps it would have been better to raise the age to learn to 30 so that the eejits who,they say,create the carnage might have gotten sense by then and we would all be safer,instead of crucifying careful learners who don't cause accidents
 
webtax said:
they are addressing the issues and these measures bring us (belatedly) towards best international practice:
-young drivers on provisional licences are a major cause of accidents
-reducing the drink driving limit also saves lives
Click to expand...
Hogwash! - Young drivers will not be driving with their parents because of social stigma, they will be driving with their fully licensed mates. (Who are free because they are on the dole)
-Increasing the alcohol price will stop people being able to buy as much. - But i guess the alcohol companies are those "Big Corporations" which are too powerful and have a firm grip of our government.
Red2 said:
Perhaps it would have been better to raise the age to learn to 30 so that the eejits who,they say,create the carnage might have gotten sense by then and we would all be safer,instead of crucifying careful learners who don't cause accidents
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But the idea is to keep the max amount of cars on the road to maximise revenue. So they will never raise the legal learnng age. (Also: less cars means clear roads, i.e no reason to speed.)

I Think a lot of people will be "signing on" in the near future because of job loss as a result of Gay's ignorance imo.
 
leghorn said:
Okay, so we'll just take these people off the roads then, shall we? They can walk to work. Problem solved :rolleyes:
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or they could get lessons and pass the test. again, the reason people don't pass is because they are not deemed proficient at driving safely. why do they think they should have freedom to drive without a qualified driver? it doesn't happen in other countries.

leghorn said:
Do they really reduce speeding? I don't think they do. Why hasn't speeding been eliminated in the UK with all the cameras they have?
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cameras used properly at accident blackspots would reduce speeding & save lives
 
This is a great day for Irish motoring. It is about time the whole drving alone with a provisonal licence was clamped down. One of the stupidest things that I ever heard of, is the 2nd provisional licence rule where you can drive alone.

In practically every other country in Europe and probably the world, this practice would be totally unacceptable. In the North, you wouldn't even consider for half a second driving on your own. It is clamped down on heavily and ingrained in their culture; when I mention to anybody up there, the way it is down here, they are absolutely horrified.

Those people who compain that it has been going on for years seem to forget that they were breaking the law (except if on 2nd provisional licence); it just wasn't enforced.

Bring it on, get the Gardai out there and start putting a stop to this nonsenical practice right away.
 
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