LEARNER DRIVERS - Wear the plate?

Hagar

md99 wrote:

Many people take them down so as not to (materially) devaluate their vehicles.

Get down off your "L Plated" high horse young fellow.
That sentence is crying out to be taken apart.
Materially means "in a significant or important manner".
I couldn't find a meaning for "devaluate".

An "L plate" is removable so it has no material effect on the value of a vehicle. Unless you have nailed it on or something stupid like that.
I'm guessing what you are trying to say is "Many people take them down so as not cosmetically devalue their vehicles". Although given the number of other stickers often seen on cars driven by some learners the point is moot.

Saruman

When i was a learner in 98 i had them on all the time! I drove on motorways too after i figured out the the garda do not care. Probably because there are too many provisional drivers but also because the person driving is not always a learner and you cant just take them off and put them back on... well i could since i printed them out for free and put them on with blue tac

Not doing poll as it does not apply to me any more.

miju

Hagar wrote:

Materially means "in a significant or important manner".
I couldn't find a meaning for "devaluate".

i'd say he meant it takes away from the aestethics of the car hagar

Saruman wrote:

Not doing poll as it does not apply to me any more.

booo , hisss , spoilsport

Idleater

Del2005 wrote:

Sorry to break the news to you Nereid, you are breaking the law when you drive your car. A fully licenced driver can't drive with L plates displayed. Can't find the law, but when I was learning in the artic any time we dropped the trailer my instructor took the L plates down

Well do everyone a favour and find the law? I have had a quick browse of the statute book and have only found requirements of provisional drivers to have the L Plates up, but none that state that full license holders must not display them.

I find it extremely hard to believe what you state to be true.

For the basic reason that for example a Learner Bus/ Instructor Car/van/truck, all have bit L plates painted onto them.

In the hypothetic instance that a trainee for example becomes ill while out on the road, does the fully qualified driver/instructor beside them drive the vehicle home? Or do they sit there in the middle of the road waiting for another trainee to get a taxi out so that they can drive the vehicle back to the garage?

L.

Stark

It's the law in the UK that you can't have L-plates up when it's a fully licenced driver driving. I used to be of the opinion that it was the same here, but I haven't been able to find any law for it either.

Usually when I see a saloon car with L-plates and someone over 40 driving, I tend to assume they're the parent of a learner rather than a learner themselves. Which makes it a bit stupid for people to be driving around without them because they're ashamed to be seeing as an "oldie with a provo".

godtabh

I drove with them up when I was an L-Driver. I'm not any more. Edit : a learner driver

But L-plates can damage your car. Stick them on metal parts and the piece covered by the l-plate wont be affect by the UV light and wont seem faded compared to other parts of the car (may only apply to older cars)

When I took down my l-plates the out line of it was "burned" on to the windows. Hasn't come off yet despite washing it but I'm not bothered. If I was selling it I would probably make more of an effort

gobby

Got my licence this month so not a learner anymore. I'm 26 by the way. I had started driving when I was 19.

I was in a crash. Wasn't serious and was my fault (through inexperience). So the insurance went up and I didn't drive again until last year.

Back in the day (when I was 19) I had the L plates up alright but for the past year I didn't. The only day I put them up was for my test. Passed first time and took them straight down again.

I voted 'no' in the poll as most recently I didn't have them up but my situation is a little strange (ie. driving for maybe 1 year when I was 19 then not again until I was 25).

voxpop

One of the reasons for cutting around the L is because you can fail the NCT because the full L-Plate is "blocking visibility"

Stark

Could people not just take them down for the NCT?

Vegeta

everyone is always a "learner" driver, the day you've seen everything on the road or cannot improve a single aspect of your driving is the day satan needs an over coat.

Just because you have a full license does not mean you know everything and have nothing left to learn.

I am a provisional license holder and display my plates.

overdriver

voxpop wrote:

One of the reasons for cutting around the L is because you can fail the NCT because the full L-Plate is "blocking visibility"

That's a ridiculous excuse. They come down and go up in seconds. When you park your car at the NCT centre take them down. Put them back up before you drive out - hopefully with your cert in hand!

voxpop

overdriver wrote:

That's a ridiculous excuse. They come down and go up in seconds. When you park your car at the NCT centre take them down. Put them back up before you drive out - hopefully with your cert in hand!

Well if the L-Plate is offically blocking visibility then are you not safer to remove some of the white backing and pass the NCT rather than removing the L-Plate for the test and then putting it back thus blocking visibility. I suppose you could replace your baldy tires for the NCT and then put them back on after the test, no use in wasting good tires.

overdriver

No, you're not. For a start, your argument is entiirely specious because you haven't actually proved that's happened - i.e. someone failing an NCT for an L plate lowering their visibility. I seriously doubt it's happened, but assuming it has, there are many things that person could've done instead of illegally butchering their L-plates. Moved them to the corner of the window, or the rear hatch, or a visible part of the bodywork, for example.

You won't win the argument by introducing the notion of someone changing their dodgy tyres, because YOU introduced that random nonsense, not anyone else. It's hardly the same thing.

miju

L plate causing you to fail the NCT is a stupid excuse , all you gotta do is put the L plate on the back , seriously either dont cut the L or just dont put up an L plate in the first place , me thinks its retarded looking with cut L plates

voxpop

overdriver wrote:

No, you're not. For a start, your argument is entiirely specious because you haven't actually proved that's happened - i.e. someone failing an NCT for an L plate lowering their visibility. I seriously doubt it's happened, but assuming it has, there are many things that person could've done instead of illegally butchering their L-plates. Moved them to the corner of the window, or the rear hatch, or a visible part of the bodywork, for example.

You won't win the argument by introducing the notion of someone changing their dodgy tyres, because YOU introduced that random nonsense, not anyone else. It's hardly the same thing.

Fisrtly Im not trying to win an argument here just giving a valid reason why an L-Plate might be modified.

Secondly it did happen - I know the person it happened to and the L-Plate was in the top left corner of the windscreen yet according to the NCT it blocked visibility. On modifing the L-Plate the car passed the NCT. If you think this is ridiculous then direct your torrent of abuse towards the NCT.

To be honest you come accross as an arrogant twat by declaring what Ive said as nonsence when you obviously havnt a clue.

@Miju
The L-Plate must be displayed on the front and the rear

Seth Brundle

voxpop wrote:

Secondly it did happen - I know the person it happened to and the L-Plate was in the top left corner of the windscreen yet according to the NCT it blocked visibility

I believe you - thousands wouldn't!

miju

voxpop wrote:

@Miju
The L-Plate must be displayed on the front and the rear

sorry should have clarified i meant put em on the body on the front and back instead of the windscreen

The_Conductor

Slow coach wrote:

Why not rename the thread, "Learner Drivers: Obey the Rules of the Road and the Road Traffic Act?" :rolleyes:

Have to agree 100% on this one......

S.

BrianD3

IME drivers who cut away the border of their L plates are some of the worst muppets on the roads. Anytime I am driving in the vicinity of a vehicle with butchered plates it is a virtual guarantee that within a minute the driver will have done something stupid, dangerous, illegal or inconsiderate.

The good thing abiout these "plates" is they're a telltale sign that you're dealing with an idiot. Another good telltale sign is if the car has any form of fancy numberplate. Special mention goes to knackers who have Irish registrations but on yellow plates :rolleyes:

overdriver

voxpop wrote:

Fisrtly Im not trying to win an argument here just giving a valid reason why an L-Plate might be modified.

Secondly it did happen - I know the person it happened to and the L-Plate was in the top left corner of the windscreen yet according to the NCT it blocked visibility. On modifing the L-Plate the car passed the NCT. If you think this is ridiculous then direct your torrent of abuse towards the NCT.

To be honest you come accross as an arrogant twat by declaring what Ive said as nonsence when you obviously havnt a clue.

@Miju
The L-Plate must be displayed on the front and the rear

Your post is full of paradoxes. Firstly, how do you make out I haven't a clue? You come on here with a highly suspect story about an L plate blocking visibilty, and when it's pointed out that butchering the plate makes it illegal, and that your imaginary friend could have affixed it somewhere else, you start calling people names. Then you say I'M an arrogant twat? You're doing yourself no favours.


Next, point out where I abused you in a even a stream, never mind a torrent. The only one stooping to abuse is you.

unkel

voxpop wrote:

your torrent of abuse

You're the one that's abusive, not overdriver. Cool it

maidhc

When I was a learner driver I had an L plate on the back, but none on the windscreen.

I just didn't like looking at a square foot of white plastic, and even on the rather large Mondeo windscreen did block my vision.

My sister did the unspeakable evil and "cut" her plates. Contrary to the sweeping views expressed here, she is a good driver, and has since passed her test 3 mths before her 18th birthday.

These threads are very bloody boring. Do people have nothing else to worry about?

C.D.

Out of the 57 people who have polled thus far, we have one who cut out his "L".

If nothing else, I think this conveys how most people feel in regard to this matter. Either wear them or don't as opposed to sitting on the fence.

md99

C.D. wrote:

Out of the 57 people who have polled thus far, we have one who cut out his "L".

If nothing else, I think this conveys how most people feel in regard to this matter. Either wear them or don't as opposed to sitting on the fence.

That said, it's still a degree or two closer to legality. Either wear them or don't wear them? Surely wearing them cut is at least (if less effectively) informing other drivers that you're a Learner - as opposed to not wearing them at all?

Maybe having them cut is as illegal as wearing none, but it's a tad more considerate to other drivers than wearing none if you ask me.

Though what can I say, I've none up myself.

overdriver

The plates are for the learner's own good. They're to warn other drivers that the driver's a learner - to give them space to make errors, to be understanding ( cos we were ALL there once) if they make mistakes.The cutout makes it less obvious that the car is being driven by a learner, and therefore defeats the purpose. Some of them can be difficult to see at first.

voxpop

I stand by my comments

I dont care if learners modify their L-Plates or dont- I simply relayed a real life incident as an insight as to why someone might modify their L-Plates. It borders on the farcical to ask me to prove this story.

Seth Brundle

md99 wrote:

Maybe having them cut is as illegal as wearing none, but it's a tad more considerate to other drivers than wearing none if you ask me.

Though what can I say, I've none up myself.

Not having L plates certainly does not identify the driver as a provisional driver but don't make the assumption that a cut out L is any better.
Many times it can be difficult to see a cut out L. The logic od the white background is so that the L stands out.

The_Conductor

md99 wrote:

Maybe having them cut is as illegal as wearing none, but it's a tad more considerate to other drivers than wearing none if you ask me.

Though what can I say, I've none up myself.

Having a cut L plate is as good as having none for over 5% of the overall population. The reason a L plate is red on a white background is because it makes it highly visible. Red becomes invisible in a lot of situations to people who are colour blind. I, along with 10% of all males, am colour blind. If you cut your tag- I cannot see it. Period. You may as well have none there.

BrandonBlock

Gardai dont seem to mind them. I have my L plates cut out (Im 1 of the 2 who voted) and I was stopped by gardai before about driving on a 1st provisional without being accompanied by a fully licensed, but he said:

"You have your L plates up so your ok, try to have a fully licensed driver with you in future"

Didnt even acknowledge that my L plates were cut out. So.....there ya go.. make of that what ya will.

Seth Brundle

Gardai may not mind them until they want/need to use it as an excuse. Otherwise its just more work for them!