Provisional Licence Driving

Hagar

Legally provisional licence holders are not allowed to drive on motorways, but we all know some do. This is in some cases because our road system leaves no option. What is the extent of the use of motorways by people who are by definition relatively inexperienced drivers? How often do pprovisional licence holders use motorways? Do they even realize that they shouldn't be on motorways?
Q. If a provisional licence holder is involved in an accident on a motorway is his/her insurance valid?

KevCarina

I don't know the definitive answer to this one but I cannot see how an insurance company would honour a claim which occured on a road that the insured was not legally entitled to be on.

Andrew Duffy

This question has been asked, and answered, at least five times in the past two months on the Motors board. If a driver is involved in a collision while driving illegally, be it due to licensing, drunkeness or dangerous driving, his insurance provider is obliged to cover any third-party liability. It is extremely unlikely that any of his own costs will be paid.

mackerski

Hagar wrote:

Legally provisional licence holders are not allowed to drive on motorways, but we all know some do. This is in some cases because our road system leaves no option.

On the subject of "no option" - there are two flavours of this. The first equates to "there's no way I'm passing up the time saving offered by the M50". The second is a little more valid. Unlike most countries I know, the NRA doesn't seem to believe that the N-classification belongs on any legacy route that has since been shadowed by a Motorway (the Brits detrunk the old routes, but many of them retain the same A-classification they always had, or at the very least a different A-number). Here, OTOH, cyclists and prohibited traffic wanting to get to Belfast now have to follow the R132 (or some such number), or a mixture of that and the old N1 still on many of the signs.

More worryingly still, the NRA sees fit to downgrade National roads even when they are shadowed by toll roads (as in the Drogheda stretch of M1). This, to me, is a Bad Thing.

On the subject of learners on Motorways, it's been a long time since I faced the dilemma, and we didn't have that many of them at the time. Let's just say that I've never driven on a Motorway while displaying an L-plate...

Dermot

aliveandkicking

I do drive on motorways as a provisional licence holder but only when I think it is necessary, for example If I am travelling to places such as Blanchardstown or Liffey Valley shopping centres I don't use the M50 but if I am going to somewhere like Drogheda I will use the motorway.

shoegirl

When I was a learner, I did, but mainly where there was not an alternative option. It seems to have gotten much worse for those who cannot use motorways. For example the M1 is now the only real alternative for those coming from the north county into Dublin because the slip road to the M1 is now only for buses. If this was done 6 years ago when I was a learner using that route I would have had no choice only to use the motorway. Ever tried the back road from Swords to Blanch and on to Lucan? Actually quicker if the M50 is busy, but you really need to know the road - and as a back road its probably way more dangerous for learners than using the motorway.

I think the restriction on Learners on motorways is a legacy of colonial times where in an ideal world you wouldn't have dangerous B roads as the only alternative. In Ireland a learner is far more safe on the motorway. I think the logic behind it is that a learner isn't experienced enough to handle the speed. But since we Irish are notorious for speeding on unsafe B-roads so much for that.

Of course there is the theoretical argument that the provisional licence is only for the purposes for learning to drive and that learners shouldn't be doing normal driving, but the sham that is the Irish test system totally contradicts that.

therecklessone

shoegirl wrote:

For example the M1 is now the only real alternative for those coming from the north county into Dublin because the slip road to the M1 is now only for buses. If this was done 6 years ago when I was a learner using that route I would have had no choice only to use the motorway.

Yes you would. You could continue over the flyover at Santry into Beaumont, take a right at the traffic lights and head towards Richmond Road. Get to Tolka Park and turn left for Ballybough, or right to bring you up into Drumcondra.

Or you could take the Malahide Road into town.

shoegirl wrote:

I think the restriction on Learners on motorways is a legacy of colonial times where in an ideal world you wouldn't have dangerous B roads as the only alternative.

I've seen the Brits blamed for many's a thing, but this is a new one...

fletch

shoegirl wrote:

I think the logic behind it is that a learner isn't experienced enough to handle the speed.

Cause we get so much opportunity to speed on the M50! Eh I don't think so. The M50 is in general a slowly moving car park

Hagar wrote:

but we all know some do. This is in some cases because our road system leaves no option

Thats just an excuse, afterall we did survive before the creation of the M50.

I don't know if anyone has ever noticed but if you wish to travel to Mullingar and you have a provisional licence, you cannot take the M4 so have to take the old road through Leixlip, Maynooth and finally Killcock, where you rejoin the N4. However this junction(back onto the N4) is a complete death trap and not suitable for a learner driver. You have to try cross 2 lanes of traffic with lorries, buses, cars, trucks etc flying along in either direction. Vehicles are just coming off the motorway so are in general travelling quite fast. The junction is so dangerous, that there is no doubt that a learner driver would be (in this particular situation) safer to use the motorway.