Driving without a full-licensed driver?

Peleus · 05-05-2008 3:28pm #1

Not sure if this should be in the motors forum or what, but ill post it and you can move it if you need to.

I was wondering, what happens to you if you have a learner permit, you 're driving a legal car and are insured but you don't have a full licensed driver with you? In other words, whats the punishment for driving unaccompanied on a provisional license? Because i know a lot of my friends do it all the time and never get in trouble for it. is it serious?

Alanstrainor · 05-05-2008 6:14pm

I believe there is a maximum fine of €1000 and a possible disqualification for driving unaccompanied on a learners permit.

chris85 · 06-05-2008 12:07am

as alanstrator said but the garda arent really implementing this but they may be doing so in the next few months.

There may be concern that their insurance is void if in an accident. Although i was hit by a provisional driver last year and his insurance coughed up pretty quick and the guard on scene said nothing to him about driving on a provisional.

Alanstrainor · 06-05-2008 12:31am

chris85 wrote: »

....alanstrator.....

hahahahaha,

the_syco · 06-05-2008 12:53am

chris85 wrote: »

as alanstrator said but the garda arent really implementing this but they may be doing so in the next few months.

There may be concern that their insurance is void if in an accident. Although i was hit by a provisional driver last year and his insurance coughed up pretty quick and the guard on scene said nothing to him about driving on a provisional.

You can drive on the 2nd and 4th license without someone else. But from June, you'll need someone with two years experience if on a provisional learners permit, and the Gardai will know that EVERYONE with an L plate is not allowed on their own, so can arrest them. Now, it's not worth teh hassle, as most people driving are allowed to drive...

OrangeDaisy · 06-05-2008 2:53pm

here in Cork they're starting to implement it big time......know 2 people who have been told to expect a court summons for driving on their own don't really know whether the guards are just trying to frighten them or what.

Wishbone Ash · 06-05-2008 5:03pm

the_syco wrote: »

You can drive on the 2nd and 4th license without someone else

That is incorrect. In category B one may only drive unaccompanied if on the 2nd Provisional Licence or 2nd Learner Permit (until June 30th).

Anyone on a 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th....and subsequent Provisional Licence or learner Permit is and has always been required to be accompanied.

The only other excemption in category B was those who had held the Provisional Licence prior to the 12th August 1985 although I don't this exemption will apply from June onwards.

the_syco wrote:

and the Gardai will know that EVERYONE with an L plate is not allowed on their own, so can arrest them

Not "EVERYONE" on an 'L' plate!

Those Provisional Licence/Learner Permit holders in categories A, A1, M and W are not required to be accompanied.

(...and I doubt very much that offenders will be 'arrested').

chris85 · 06-05-2008 9:30pm

Alanstrainor wrote: »

hahahahaha,

sorry

:p

Gauge · 06-05-2008 9:49pm

OrangeDaisy wrote: »

here in Cork they're starting to implement it big time......know 2 people who have been told to expect a court summons for driving on their own don't really know whether the guards are just trying to frighten them or what.

Haha really? I know a fair few people driving around on their own, I'll have to give them a heads up to stop.

Peleus · 06-05-2008 9:56pm

how do they expect drivers to learn for their test. Where are they gonna find a FullLicence driver who has nothing better to do but be driven around everywhere.

they should at least give a warning before fining you.

Gauge · 06-05-2008 9:58pm

In fairness every other country manages to do it...

Yakult · 06-05-2008 11:20pm

Peleus wrote: »

how do they expect drivers to learn for their test. Where are they gonna find a FullLicence driver who has nothing better to do but be driven around everywhere.

Yeah its a balls imo. I have to try and get a test now before July if I want to work this summer.

ztoical · 07-05-2008 7:52am

Gauge wrote: »

In fairness every other country manages to do it...

+ 1

07-05-2008 12:37pm

Peleus wrote: »

how do they expect drivers to learn for their test. Where are they gonna find a FullLicence driver who has nothing better to do but be driven around everywhere.

they should at least give a warning before fining you.

I have my test in two weeks, after applying on November 23rd.

Not once have i driven on my own, I got 11 lessons = 11 hours of driving.

I have 2 Fully licensed parents - get about 3 hours a week done.

In week before test, I'll just persuade some of my fully licensed friends to come for spins.

Its really really not that difficult to not drive unnaccompanied.

Btw, I am confident of passing my test, having sat the Ignition scheme, and passed with full discount.

daiixi · 07-05-2008 5:40pm

Peleus wrote: »

how do they expect drivers to learn for their test. Where are they gonna find a FullLicence driver who has nothing better to do but be driven around everywhere.

they should at least give a warning before fining you.

It's law. Everyone has been given fair warning.

Also I've no family in the country and most of my friends either don't have licenses, don't have cars or are on provisionals. I learned to drive here with the aid of my wonderful driving instructor who I paid small a fortune to. Plus I was able to benefit from learning with someone who (1) knows how to teach and (2) concentrated on teaching me the best possible way to drive. It did mean that I had to do with a few less nights on the booze in order to pay for the lessons but at the end of the day learning to drive was my priority.

Feachan · 07-05-2008 10:43pm

From my understanding the exemption from being accompanied that applied to pre August 1985 provisional licence holders will not apply after 30 June 2008.

Feachan

jd83 · 18-05-2008 11:53pm

So does all this mean that im going to have to find a full licence driver to accompany me to my driving test,get out and wait for me while i do it and then drive home with me?

TwoShedsJackson · 19-05-2008 10:54am

rory1983 wrote: »

So does all this mean that im going to have to find a full licence driver to accompany me to my driving test,get out and wait for me while i do it and then drive home with me?

Yes.

ardmacha · 21-05-2008 3:58pm

then drive home with me?

If you pass, then you can drive home yourself.

token56 · 21-05-2008 4:20pm

I wouldn't mind all this if they sorted out the waiting times for the testing. They say that the times are coming down, however this is not what I experienced. Failed the test once in January of this year and got this test after waiting 15 weeks. The day I failed I applied again, I now got a date for my second test, over 25 weeks after I applied in January, its rediculous as the waiting time on the website back in january said 15 weeks. It know says 8 weeks which is also ludicrious. Sorry that this rant is off topic

jd83 · 21-05-2008 4:24pm

ardmacha wrote: »

If you pass, then you can drive home yourself.

Yeah but you wont have a full licensee yet just the cert .

The waiting times have really improved in dublin i only applied around 2 months ago and ive been called for it for mid may but i cancelled it to do it in june

LDriver · 21-05-2008 9:37pm

ardmacha wrote: »

If you pass, then you can drive home yourself.

If you drive to test alone and tester knows is that a fail? Can't be can it?

challengemaster · 21-05-2008 9:45pm

Peleus wrote: »

how do they expect drivers to learn for their test. Where are they gonna find a FullLicence driver who has nothing better to do but be driven around everywhere.

they should at least give a warning before fining you.

R_H_C_P wrote: »

Yeah its a balls imo. I have to try and get a test now before July if I want to work this summer.

Balls indeed. Not everyone has the time to take out to drive around with a learner..

And there's times where it's just.. wrong.

>>Girlfriend calls over to go to cinema with you, which is a fair bit so you're driving
"Ready to go hun?"
"Hold on a sec, just have to get the mother/father.."

That'll go well. :rolleyes:

ztoical · 21-05-2008 10:42pm

challengemaster wrote: »

Balls indeed. Not everyone has the time to take out to drive around with a learner..

And there's times where it's just.. wrong.

>>Girlfriend calls over to go to cinema with you, which is a fair bit so you're driving
"Ready to go hun?"
"Hold on a sec, just have to get the mother/father.."

That'll go well. :rolleyes:

other countries don't let learners drive by themselves and they don't seem to have any problems learning to drive.

challengemaster · 21-05-2008 10:48pm

But, do other countries have the same waiting period as we do?

Prenderb · 21-05-2008 10:49pm

Did I see "pre-1985 provisional licence holder" somewhere? Holy cow, that's crazy - doesn't it just sum up the irish mentality beautifully though! I knew test waiting lists were long but....

ztoical · 21-05-2008 11:31pm

challengemaster wrote: »

But, do other countries have the same waiting period as we do?

But one of the reasons we've ended up with such long waiting lists is that up until the new rules were announced no one was pushed to fix the long waiting lists cus you could drive anyway. I've friends who all started driving long before me and still haven't sat one test - they'd a get a date and say "ah I can't be bothered that week" and would cancel [of course now their freaking out demanding a test] The waiting list can and has been brought down - I waited 7 months for my first test and 8 weeks for the second [and its wasn't a cancelled test, both times I meant to send a letter from my job but never did]

HungryJoey · 22-05-2008 12:08am

LDriver wrote: »

If you drive to test alone and tester knows is that a fail? Can't be can it?

I don't see why you would. It is not up to a tester to implement the law.

Although I know my mother ( 30+ years ago ) did fail because of something similar, but thats 30 years ago.

TwoShedsJackson · 22-05-2008 11:42am

challengemaster wrote: »

Balls indeed. Not everyone has the time to take out to drive around with a learner..

And there's times where it's just.. wrong.

>>Girlfriend calls over to go to cinema with you, which is a fair bit so you're driving
"Ready to go hun?"
"Hold on a sec, just have to get the mother/father.."

That'll go well. :rolleyes:

Get a bus or a taxi. I know it's a pain in the arse but how do people manage to learn to drive in Britain, Germany, USA etc. basically everywhere but here, if their lifestyles are curtailed as much as you seem to think it would be?

ztoical · 22-05-2008 12:06pm

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

Get a bus or a taxi. I know it's a pain in the arse but how do people manage to learn to drive in Britain, Germany, USA etc. basically everywhere but here, if their lifestyles are curtailed as much as you seem to think it would be?

+1 My friend managed to learn to drive and pass first time while in college full time, being a single mum with a child under 1, parents living the other side of the country and no near by friends with full license - never drove on her own either, got extra lessons, went without a few treats for a couple months as she needed to drive to bring her son to creche before class and pick him up after. So if she can learn and pass with all that going on no reason anyone living at home with parents with full licenses can't.

Antamojo · 22-05-2008 5:07pm

Maybe the gov. should implement some sort of scheme in the educational system
Some optional extra class once a week or so teaching students stuff about driving?
Dunno, could work, could save lives

Driving without a full-licensed driver?

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