Learner Drivers on Motorway

ClareBear

Now I know lots of Learner drivers drive on the motorway but I just wanted to ask besides not being insured, if the gardai pull you over do you get in much trouble?

I'm going to be driving from Cork to Maynooth for the first time next week....I've been told by a lot of people just to go for it and drive on the motorway but I think for my own sanity I'd rather go back roads....for now anyway. Though from looking in to it it looks very complicated, any advice?

mike65

If you are going to Kildare town its simple enough at Portlaoise you take the road "into" Portloaise and get on the R447 and follow that on to the N7 going east

http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=-780000&Y=6975000&width=700&height=400&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=mercator&db=w3&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=true&zm=1&scale=500000

Mike.

machiavellianme

mike65 wrote:

If you are going to Kildare town its simple enough at Portlaoise you take the road "into" Portloaise and get on the R447 and follow that on to the N7 going east

http://uk2.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=-780000&Y=6975000&width=700&height=400&gride=&gridn=&srec=0&coordsys=mercator&db=w3&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&keepicon=true&zm=1&scale=500000

Mike.

That map is old and out of date. The N7 no longer exists for that stretch as the motorway M7 shown is broken blue there has been completed and opened. You'll have to follow back roads from Portlaoise to Ballybrittas, Monasterevin, Kildare and through Newbridge for your journey. Some sections of the road have fallen into bad repair since they're no longer the main Dublin-Cork road.

Big Balls

Plenty of learner drivers on the M7 today I can tell you.

At least take your plates down, screaming from the roof tops that you cannot drive is asking for trouble!!

qz

Big Balls wrote:

Plenty of learner drivers on the M7 today I can tell you.

At least take your plates down, screaming from the roof tops that you cannot drive is asking for trouble!!

Surely that would make the situation much worse?

Hagar

Big Balls wrote:

At least take your plates down

Great idea.
Whatever leeway or allowances other motorists might have made on seeing "L" plates just won't happen.
It'll make the drive so much easier won't it?

mloc123

Hagar wrote:

Whatever leeway or allowances other motorists might have made on seeing "L" plates just won't happen.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Sorry, that is the funniest thing I've seen all weekend.

Supercell

In my experience some motorists see the L plates as a red rag to a bull, they cut you up, will not give way,beep for a 0.25 sec delay at the lights etc.
In fairness most do give extra allowance but it only takes one or two idiots on a journey to really unnerve the inexperienced L driver, so on a motorway I'd say its actually SAFER overall to take them down..contraversial I know..but tbh think its safer (if the person is going to go on the motorway regardless of whether they should or not).

Wishbone Ash

ClareBear wrote:

I'd rather go back roads

Ther're not exactly "back roads" but the roads that existed before the motorways were constructed.

Big Balls wrote:

Plenty of learner drivers on the M7 today I can tell you.

How can you tell. The L plate may be displayed because a learner also uses the vehicle.

(Although some people claim that it is illegal for a person with a full licence to drive a vehicle with L plates displayed I've never seen any link or evidence of this.)

ClareBear

machiavellianme wrote:

That map is old and out of date. The N7 no longer exists for that stretch as the motorway M7 shown is broken blue there has been completed and opened. You'll have to follow back roads from Portlaoise to Ballybrittas, Monasterevin, Kildare and through Newbridge for your journey. Some sections of the road have fallen into bad repair since they're no longer the main Dublin-Cork road.

Thanks...basically a good map and patience then. I'd rather not drive on the Motorway anyway, the rule is there for a reason. Thanks for the help.

Wishbone Ash

Longfield wrote:

In my experience some motorists see the L plates as a red rag to a bull, they cut you up, will not give way,beep for a 0.25 sec delay at the lights etc.

Ah yes, those morons who have the full licence since birth! Unfortunately there are plenty of them about and most only have a B category licence but they are driving Gods! :rolleyes:

Big Balls

Wishbone Ash wrote:

How can you tell. The L plate may be displayed because a learner also uses the vehicle.

So what are you saying exactly? EVERY single car I saw on the M7 today with an L plate did not have a learner driving it? Will you cop yourself on!!!

And I really fail to see the negatives in not having L plates up on a motorway. Eitherway, you shouldn't be there but rubbing it in the faces of drivers that you are not qualified to be there is just telling everyone how ignorant you are!

Volvoboy

just drove on the m50 there yesterday from liffey valley to home clarehall and i didnt enjoy it at all, i was in the middle lane and just about to go into the inside lane indicator on seen a car behind me pleanty of room and time for me to make the manouver and just as i was about to move across the ****er raced up the lane to get ahead of me, never again back roads all the way. also i'm on a provisonal witout any plates.


-VB-

Stark

ClareBear wrote:

Now I know lots of Learner drivers drive on the motorway but I just wanted to ask besides not being insured, if the gardai pull you over do you get in much trouble?

Where did you hear that you're not insured?

I never bother taking down my plates (they're sticky so I'd just wreck my car windows). Most of the time I've no hassle. On the few occasions that I do get hassle, I figure the driver in question was just a prick anyway and even if I had a pink licence, he'd have been a prick because I was in a small car or going the speed limit or whatever.

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote:

How can you tell. The L plate may be displayed because a learner also uses the vehicle.

Big Balls wrote:

So what are you saying exactly? EVERY single car I saw on the M7 today with an L plate did not have a learner driving it? Will you cop yourself on!!!

If you read the post again, and have some cop on, you may notice that I used the word may. It's not beyond the bounds of probability that some vehicles with L plates may also be utilised by provisionally licenced sons/daughters/partners/siblings etc.

I, and I'm sure other posters, would be keen to know how you can automatically tell that a car with L plates is being driven by a person with a provisional licence.

dermot_sheehan

<begin legal nerdiness>

Driving on a Motorway with a provisional contravenes section 43 of the Roads Act 1993 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA14Y1993S43.html and the s. 7(2) of the Roads Regulations 1994 http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZSI119Y1994.html.
as per section 81 of the Roads Act http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/ZZA14Y1993S81.html
It carries a €1,270 fine and up to 6 months in prison. It can't be dealt with by a fixed penalty, it carries no points, and it does not effect the validity of the licence.

What happens if you drive without an L-plate is here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=51856871&postcount=25

</end legal nerdiness>

miju

said it before and ill say it again:

the dangerous fuckers on the motorway don't have any L plates on em which means the dude in the 06 BMW or Landrover who probably has a full license is just being a **** driver

any potentially "verifiable" L driver I ever see on the motorway either drives in the left hand lane about 80-100kmh or drives in the right hand lane at 120kmh (hands up here) with no bother at all only moving out of the way for the lunatics to go by

a question i always ask how do you learn to go on the motorway when your not allowed on it till you have your full license?

and before anyone starts on me for driving on motorways , i personally don't care of your opinion of it , i've driven the length and breadth of this countries motorways many a time and in my opinion i can drive on them competently and safely with no bother (except for that one time i sped badly which was a family emergency and was REALLY pushing it to get home in order to get to hospital)

The tax man

Volvoboy wrote:

just drove on the m50 there yesterday from liffey valley to home clarehall and i didnt enjoy it at all, i was in the middle lane and just about to go into the inside lane

-VB-

:eek: :eek: :eek: Have they finished the M50 upgrade already. Only drove it on friday and could've sworn it still had 2 lanes.:D

Only having a laugh VB, I know you meant the overtaking lane.;)
Also a pet hate of mine,people undertaking a load of cars.They never get there any quicker.

Wishbone Ash

miju wrote:

a question i always ask how do you learn to go on the motorway when your not allowed on it till you have your full license?

Spare a thought for those of us who drive larger vehicles. I don't own a bus or a truck which means that I could only get experience driving during lessons with an instructor on non-motorway roads. When I passed the truck and bus tests I drove on motorways despite the fact that I had no previous experience on them. There is a bit of a difference between driving a car without experience on a motorway and an articulated 44 tonne truck.

dermot_sheehan

miju wrote:

said it before and ill say it again:

the dangerous fuckers on the motorway don't have any L plates on em which means the dude in the 06 BMW or Landrover who probably has a full license is just being a **** driver

That's your opinion which appears to be based on stereotypes, if they have a full licence they more then likely passed a driving test at some point in their lives (excepting those who got it in the amnesty).

any potentially "verifiable" L driver I ever see on the motorway either drives in the left hand lane about 80-100kmh or drives in the right hand lane at 120kmh (hands up here) with no bother at all only moving out of the way for the lunatics to go by

a question i always ask how do you learn to go on the motorway when your not allowed on it till you have your full license?

You get your full licence and prove you're competent to drive, then you learn how to drive on highspeed roads. You're not let on to high speed expressways with no regard to your experience or competency

and before anyone starts on me for driving on motorways , i personally don't care of your opinion of it , i've driven the length and breadth of this countries motorways many a time and in my opinion i can drive on them competently and safely with no bother (except for that one time i sped badly which was a family emergency and was REALLY pushing it to get home in order to get to hospital)

Everyone thinks they're a great driver, it's a shame you haven't yet proved that you are in a driving test. All I can say is you're committing an offence that carries a fine and/or imprisonment so you can't really complain if you're caught and suffer sanction.

miju

Wishbone Ash wrote:

There is a bit of a difference between driving a car without experience on a motorway and an articulated 44 tonne truck.

eeeeekkkk :eek::eek::eek:

John R

Wishbone Ash wrote:

Spare a thought for those of us who drive larger vehicles. I don't own a bus or a truck which means that I could only get experience driving during lessons with an instructor on non-motorway roads. When I passed the truck and bus tests I drove on motorways despite the fact that I had no previous experience on them. There is a bit of a difference between driving a car without experience on a motorway and an articulated 44 tonne truck.

You would have had experience on them in the car though.

Besides driving large vehicles on motorways is far easier than threading them through narrow city streets.

Motorways are the only roads built wide enough to give decent margins for large vehicles, the **** who design city streets never consider the use of trucks and buses.

John R

miju wrote:

any potentially "verifiable" L driver I ever see on the motorway either drives in the left hand lane about 80-100kmh or drives in the right hand lane at 120kmh (hands up here) with no bother at all only moving out of the way for the lunatics to go by

You are supposed to drive in the left lane ALL THE TIME except for overtaking other vehicles.

Wishbone Ash

John R wrote:

the **** who design city streets never consider the use of trucks and buses.

In fairness John most were designed long before trucks and buses came along.

John R

Wishbone Ash wrote:

In fairness John most were designed long before trucks and buses came along.

Well obviously the ancient narrow streets are not down to designers, it is all the modern street furniture that has mostly sprung up in the last 10 years that pisses me off. Stuff like traffic islands, traffic calming chicanes, mini-roundabouts, extra narrow lanes, extended pavements on corners, cycle lanes where there is no space for them and don't get me started on bus lanes that are narrower than the width of a bus.

All of these things have a place but almost without fail they are built to fit cars, large vehicles can only just squeeze past and it leaves no room for error (or badly parked cars and dopey pedestrians).

Big Balls

The tax man wrote:

:eek: :eek: :eek: Have they finished the M50 upgrade already. Only drove it on friday and could've sworn it still had 2 lanes.:D

Only having a laugh VB, I know you meant the overtaking lane.;)
Also a pet hate of mine,people undertaking a load of cars.They never get there any quicker.

I think he means the N4 heading to or away from Liffey Valley.

Wishbone you're going off the point. If you're not a learner then take the plates down. I know I would!! And most people as you put it, would agree!!

To anyone who proclaims how great they are and how many miles they've travelled up and down the country, get a full licence and stop the preaching. If there's a waiting list, get a letter from someone with any sort of a company name on the top of it. Some of you seem to forget what a provisional licence is!!

Wishbone Ash

gabhain7 wrote:

passed a driving test at some point in their lives (excepting those who got it in the amnesty).

.......or simply applied for a licence before the introduction of the driving test!

John R wrote:

all the modern street furniture that has mostly sprung up in the last 10 years that pisses me off. Stuff like traffic islands, traffic calming chicanes, mini-roundabouts, extra narrow lanes, extended pavements on corners, cycle lanes where there is no space for them and don't get me started on bus lanes that are narrower than the width of a bus.

Or the practise of putting telegraph/traffic light poles at the edge of footpaths on roads/streets where the camber leans inwards. Tall sided vehicled vehicles are forced to pull out to avoid colliding with them.

Hagar

Wishbone Ash wrote:

.......or simply applied for a licence before the introduction of the driving test!

There wouldn't be too many of them in fairness. AFAIK the driving test was introduced in 1964 so to be 17 then you would have been born in 1947 ie be 69 now. Basically most licence holders, except the amnesty licence holders, have done a test.

Seanie M

ClareBear wrote:

Now I know lots of Learner drivers drive on the motorway but I just wanted to ask besides not being insured, if the gardai pull you over do you get in much trouble?

I'm going to be driving from Cork to Maynooth for the first time next week....I've been told by a lot of people just to go for it and drive on the motorway but I think for my own sanity I'd rather go back roads....for now anyway. Though from looking in to it it looks very complicated, any advice?

To be honest, and in my own humble opinion (and not having read any further posts!), you would only be in trouble, as a provisional driver, by a police officer if you drew undue attention to yourself. Random 'L' drivers being pulled over on a motorway? I have never seen nor heard of it. Like I say, only if they have reason to pull you over. Just because a car has an 'L' plate does not mean it is always driven by a learner driver.

Seanie.

miju

Big Balls wrote:

To anyone who proclaims how great they are and how many miles they've travelled up and down the country, get a full licence and stop the preaching. If there's a waiting list, get a letter from someone with any sort of a company name on the top of it. Some of you seem to forget what a provisional licence is!!

i didnt proclaim how great i was , i've done all of the above long ago and have still been waiting 40 odd weeks for my test with still no date

John R wrote:

You are supposed to drive in the left lane ALL THE TIME except for overtaking other vehicles.

re-read my post and compare speeds naturally if your in the right hand land lane doing 120kmh you'll be overtaking another car doing 80-100kmh :rolleyes:

alastair

Hagar wrote:

There wouldn't be too many of them in fairness. AFAIK the driving test was introduced in 1964 so to be 17 then you would have been born in 1947 ie be 69 now. Basically most licence holders, except the amnesty licence holders, have done a test.

You've something wrong there, as my Da (who has just turned 65 - and has driven since teenage years) never had to do a driving test. I get the feeling he wasn't one of the last 'no-test' licence holders either.

event

you wont be pulled over for having L plates, you will have to do something else, ie speed or dangerous driving. then, they will also do you for the l plates

i have never had bad experiences on a motorway, well once i was overtaking a truck, doing 125Kph in the overtaking lane, a black northern reg BMW pulled up behind me and started beeping and flashin the lights for me to move in. I did so when i got by the truck

about 2 mile down the road, i saw him pulled in by the gardai

Wishbone Ash

Wishbone Ash wrote:

.......or simply applied for a licence before the introduction of the driving test!

Hagar wrote:

There wouldn't be too many of them in fairness. AFAIK the driving test was introduced in 1964 so to be 17 then you would have been born in 1947 ie be 69 now.

I take it that mathematics is not your strong point Hagar (2006-1947=59)

There are probably hundreds of thousands of full licence holders out there who have never passed a test. Neither of my parents nor any of my older relatives have passed a driving test yet they all have full licences.