N-plates?

CiniO

kilogram95 wrote: »

I don't agree that thats a good aspect.

But we can all agree that the 'N' plate is one of the worst idea's the RSA has come up with

All except from me, who thinks it's a brilliant idea.

I would even go further and get rid of L plate.
You first learn with instructor, then pass your driving test, and then you can practice on your own with N plates.

IncognitoMan

I passed my test about 2 weeks ago will I have to put up these N plates?

Zubeneschamali

IncognitoMan wrote: »

I passed my test about 2 weeks ago will I have to put up these N plates?

No, I don't think so. Get your actual physical licence in your hand, though, ASAP.

awec

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Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

It's perfectly fair to alert other drivers that you are new and inexperienced.

Yes, so that they can overtake in unsafe places, undertake, pull out in front of you, refuse to let you into traffic, cut you up in carparks and generally be obnoxious to you for an extra 2 years.

awec

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Colonel Sanders

Haven't read the whole thread so might be repeating something already said

Pointless unless enforced & almost says to me that this is the powers that be acknowledging that the current driving test is inadequate.

I personally think you should have to re-sit your test when you renew your licence every 10 years.

Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

So they can be aware that you are new.

In what way is this going to help anyone?

awec

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pete4130

Here in Australia there are P plates for people who have just passed their test.

Red P's with a lower speed limit and restrictions on the number of people/age of people allowed in the car at certain times (90kmh, 1 passenger under the age of 21 after 11pm-5am, 0 blood alcohol) and they run them for a year.

Green P's come after red P's, 100kmh, 0 blood alcohol and they run for 2 years.

The number of P platers you see doing F*cking stupid things is unreal. Yeah they've passed a test to say they are competent in the most basic handling of a car on the road and understood the rules for their test.

Passing your test doesn't make you a driver. It allows you to legally drive. The P plates give you some heads up to who might be an inexperienced driver and gives you the time and frame of mind to be more careful when driving near P Platers.

P platers have much worse statistics compared to regular drivers for accidents and fatalities.

The N plates seem like a similar idea and plates can be magnetic and easy to put on and remove.

TheChizler

pete4130 wrote: »

Here in Australia there are P plates for people who have just passed their test.

Red P's with a lower speed limit and restrictions on the number of people/age of people allowed in the car at certain times (90kmh, 1 passenger under the age of 21 after 11pm-5am, 0 blood alcohol) and they run them for a year.

Green P's come after red P's, 100kmh, 0 blood alcohol and they run for 2 years.

The number of P platers you see doing F*cking stupid things is unreal. Yeah they've passed a test to say they are competent in the most basic handling of a car on the road and understood the rules for their test.

Passing your test doesn't make you a driver. It allows you to legally drive. The P plates give you some heads up to who might be an inexperienced driver and gives you the time and frame of mind to be more careful when driving near P Platers.

P platers have much worse statistics compared to regular drivers for accidents and fatalities.

The N plates seem like a similar idea and plates can be magnetic and easy to put on and remove.

While it's true that recently passed drivers statistically might be more likely to be involved in an accident, there's a presumption that displaying a plate will help avoid some of these accidents. Could many of these accidents be prevented by warning other drivers to give extra space? IIRC most of the accidents involving recently passed drivers are single car collisions, so warning other drivers would have zero benefit in those cases.

That system might work well in Australia and in theory it should work well here, but in my experience and the experience of several others posting here, SOME Irish non-L drivers behave more dangerously around plated drivers. I know it's anecdotal, but in the 6 months I was a learner I was tailgated more times per month than in the four years since. If it looks like warning drivers to an inexperienced driver would be of little benefit to reducing the number of crashes, and in fact might increase the number of dangerous driving maneuvers, I really don't see the point of having another plate on the window. I've never driven in the north though so I'd be interested in seeing how it works up there.

awec

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TheChizler

awec wrote: »

It works very well.

Although this is coupled with a police force that actually enforce the rules of the road. Caught without L/R plates if you are required to have them and you will be done for it. None of this friendly garda telling you at the side of the road not to do it again nonsense.

Are driving habits very different to the south? Aggression-wise?

awec

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arleitiss

Unfortunetely at least half of the fully licensed drivers are being assholes towards Learner drivers, can't see this changing towards N drivers too.

Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

Knowing that a driver is new is important. While there are a few morons who'll do risky overtakes, the majority will give you extra leeway.

So you are saying that N plates are for the benefit of the new drivers, so that everyone will be extra nice to them. All novices will be delighted to display them, so. I might get a set myself, to get me some of that extra leeway!

awec

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H3llR4iser

Bpmull wrote: »

I passed my test in July and I don't agree with this n plate system. The whole point of the driving test is that if you pass you are a safe and competent driver. I passed first time as an 18 year old male in Kilkenny which has the lowest pass rate 35 percent. But I worked really hard for my test and got 18 lessons. The testers in general are hard enough any slips at all and they will mark you. If they are anyway concerned by your driving they will fail you. I think the current systm is fair. If you really practice driving you will pass the test you dont need any talent its purely based on practice. So I certainly don't agree with the n plate system and hopefully I wont be effected I assume it's only newly qualified drivers who pass after the launch date.

And you perfectly represent the over confident young driver. We all were like you at the beginning - hey I passed the test, it was hard (not true) and it means I can drive!

The test means that you can more or less conduct a car without crashing into anything and have a general knowledge of the rules of the road; Driving however is not just about following the rules, is about being able to foresee and anticipate danger, a thing that can't really be taught.

All in all, the "N" license thing is, as usual, a good idea as long as it gets enforced. Otherwise, a completely pointless exercise in futility.

Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

They warn everyone else that you are new and inexperienced.

And what, exactly, are other drivers supposed to do with that information?

guttenberg

arleitiss wrote: »

Unfortunetely at least half of the fully licensed drivers are being assholes towards Learner drivers, can't see this changing towards N drivers too.

You realise your making one big assumption about thousands and thousands of people? have you met them all or can I see how you came to this conclusion?

Zubeneschamali wrote: »

And what, exactly, are other drivers supposed to do with that information?

Be more patient if they take a few extra seconds to get away from the lights, if they increase speed/brake over a longer distance, anticipate/be more forgiving if they stall etc. etc. etc. It won't cure attitudes over night, it's more of a generational thing. If implemented, over time it will help improve attitudes around L drivers. Pointless if not enforced though.

Zubeneschamali

guttenberg wrote: »

Be more patient if they take a few extra seconds to get away from the lights, if they increase speed/brake over a longer distance, anticipate/be more forgiving if they stall etc. etc. etc.

So, don't be a dick to other drivers if they have N-plates up?

Sorry, people who don't drive like dicks don't need the N-plates to tell them not to, and people who do will target N-plate drivers, not smile and say "sure we all had to learn!"

awec

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Chris_Heilong

I think they are a waste of time, in the real world people drive for a number of years on L plates before passing their test, the ability to drive is assessed here and if they drive competently they pass. So these "New" drivers are not really novices.

I guess the ideal would be, someone passes their theory test, gets L plates for 6 months and has 12 lessons, does driving test and passes then goes onto N plates but I dont know anyone who would fall into this category. I dont have issues with L platers on the roads as they dont cause me any grief unlike some 2 wheeled road users.

Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

The benefit of them is the same as the benefit of L plates.

Yes, and see how many L plate drivers leave them up after their test because other drivers treat them so much better.

ec18

Can they add in an O plate for older people as well ? :P

awec

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Zubeneschamali

awec wrote: »

You really aren't getting this at all. You seem to be deliberately missing the point.

I keep asking what N-plates are for.

You say they are for:

1) The N drivers who will get extra consideration from others. This is nonsense, as any learner will tell you: qualified drivers treat them either the same (all decent drivers) or much, much worse than non L drivers.

2) Everyone else, so that we can give N drivers extra consideration. See point 1.

diarmo06

Rdiculous! Why challenge young people drivng when there's older people out there who would've "bought" their liecense back in the day? Surely there's something..

I'm learner driver, issued in august, have my 12 EDTS done already, living away from home & no access to a car to "practice." I've just to wait, six months before I can do the exam.. Sadly next Feburary!

I and many others, i'd imagine, won't be able to drive at all in that intervening time of 2 years N-plates! Parents hardly drive accross the country so their can see my skills of bringing them to the shop.. Painful this!

awec

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Capt'n Midnight

In England (some) people display green L plates for a while after they have passed.

In Italy provisional drivers have a P , in Wales it's a D

R up north and N down here

now all we need is some vowels :pac:



Does the R system work up north ?