Driving unaccompanied on Learner Permit?

DidYouSquirt?

Faith+1 wrote: »

I did and passed my test first time. I'm not gloating or trying to show off but the law is there for your own safety and you should respect it.

Fair play mate

I do find it difficult ..or should i say people find it difficult to lend me there time so i don't have much choice but to head out on my own. I'm Nct'd, Insured, Taxed doing 12 lessons, showing L-plates (which most people don't do because of this accompanying driver law) so if they want to do me on the smallest of things they can!

Mister Jingles

Not that I do or don't agree, I just can't understand the way that a learner is legally required to have someone sit in with them who could a) have never sat a driving test in their life (old people) and b) could possibly have I dunno say 11 points on their own licence and not a good driver in general ?

And lets face it, if every full licence driver in the country was to re-sit a test to the current RSA standards between one to two thirds would probably fail.

hattoncracker

DidYouSquirt? wrote: »

Fair play mate

I do find it difficult ..or should i say people find it difficult to lend me there time so i don't have much choice but to head out on my own. I'm Nct'd, Insured, Taxed doing 12 lessons, showing L-plates (which most people don't do because of this accompanying driver law) so if they want to do me on the smallest of things they can!

Word..

It is a pain in the gash! I have gone out a few times unaccompanied but I got so nervous in case a) I got stopped, b) my insurance wouldn't cover me if I crashed, and c) I get hopelessly lost, that I wouldn't go and do it again.

wellboytoo

It would make life much simpler for everyone if the gardai enforced this rule vigourously as it stands it is kind of a la carte, some will ignore it very few will do you for it.
It is like all laws in Ireland, but if you absolutely knew you were going to be done for it, it would solve the problem.
I think I just advocated zero tolerance...... Jeeeees

MarthaMyDear

A few of my friends have been driving with their provisional license unaccompanied for years. One of them just passed his test but he said before that he was never stopped or questioned about his license. The other one has failed his test and never re-applied for it. He has been driving on his provisional for about five years :rolleyes: If the guards ever stop him and ask him why he has no L plates up he usually says something like he just got his windscreen done or he left them on his parents car as he'd just had a lesson in it etc etc..

He did say that they seem more concerned with having L plates up than driving alone. I know I heard of one guard who got really annoyed about it but my friend told them they had just dropped off their dad somewhere and then the guard waved them on with an unofficial warning.

I'm not saying people should do it, just that I know an awful lot of people who do and have not been prosecuted. Then again it could happen!

valtra8150

you said here (e.g. that 6 months free accompanied driving cover from Aviva if you block book driving lessons), can i ask what exzatly what does that mean, because im on my provisnal licence on my mothers insurance and shes with aviva and we have land away from the house so when i come home from school i go to that land to check cattle save bringing the tractor, its not that far only about 3 miles on all back roads, but if somebodys happens to crash into me or the other way around will aviva pay up for me driving unaccompained?

christmas2012

If you have the L plates up while driving alone,a gard can spot you a mile off and pull you over,saying you cant drive unaccompanied.

Leave the L plates off at least if youre going to attempt this,but it is not advisable,as last year ther were significant(and this year) deaths on the road due to L plate drivers being inexperienced and most of them didnt wear their L plates.

You are asked to wear your L plates and have an accompanied driver with you at all times until you pass your test..

akura

I drive unaccompanied and i dont disply L plates because i dont want to be an easy target for the guards. I need the car for work and i live in the arse end of nowhere with no public transport.

I have been driving since May and i have my test in November when hopefully ill pass:)

Alanstrainor

christmas2012 wrote: »

If you have the L plates up while driving alone,a gard can spot you a mile off and pull you over,saying you cant drive unaccompanied.

Leave the L plates off at least if youre going to attempt this,but it is not advisable,as last year ther were significant(and this year) deaths on the road due to L plate drivers being inexperienced and most of them didnt wear their L plates.

You are asked to wear your L plates and have an accompanied driver with you at all times until you pass your test..

Encouraging others to break the law is against the forum charter.

Warning given.

SpitfireIV

epiphone wrote: »

I'm just wondering are there many people driving unaccompanied on a learner Permit?

My son just failed his test and I feel he is a competent driver. I have never allowed him out unaccompanied but from what I can see a lot of young drivers are driving unaccompanied.

Is anybody here driving unaccompanied? Are the guards checking for this?

I've been driving a fair bit unaccompanied for a few months. Never very far though, staying relatively local on roads I know (I know, an accident can happen anywhere) but, at least I was more familiar with the surroundings)

I was stopped one evening. Young Garda, about the same age as myself.

Stopped me, asked me where I was going, I told him. Asked if I had a licence, I handed it to him, asked if I had tax/insurance I said "yep" and jestured toward the front window, he had a look. Came back to the window, said "I just want to run a check on the car" (young fella, driving a Starlet Maybe it was known from its previous owners?! ). Came back to the window, handed me the licence and said; "You know you shouldnt be driving unaccompanied blah blah blah", made a hand gesture while saying 'blah blah blah' and walked away.

doolox

Such laws as driving"supervised" depends on having an ideal, obliging mom or dad or bigger brother or sister who can help you by being available 24/7 to get you from home to where you need to be before you get the important piece of paper from the government that entitles you to use that road without interference from the people who can retire at age 55 on a large pension after 35 years of uninterupted WORK free from redundancy, uncertainty, bankruptcy, debt etc that plague those people in the private sector who must STRIVE for their living.

A lot of people in isolated areas are forced to break the laws in order to get to work and earn an honest crust.

I would propose allowing Learners to drive at the hours of 7 am to 7 pm, in order to get to an from, college, work or whatever develops them into full time workers in our nation.

If they are out at 2 or 3 in the morning on trivial, social outings then it is not legitimate and they should be prosecuted.

Obviously if they are on night shift, an exception would have to made.

We cannot afford to condemn people to unemployment for the sake of a licence given the high rate of unemployment we suffer at the moment.

The driver testers need to be reined in and be more flexible in their pass/fail criteria because at the moment they seem to be more interested in repeat business than in getting people mobile and employable.