'N for novice' plate in new learner driver laws

davet82

LEARNERS and newly qualified drivers will be put off the road if they clock up just six penalty points under tough new rules to become law next summer.

The government has decided to halve the number of points a learner driver can rack up before they are banned for six months.

The measure is also likely to be applied to offending motorists for two years after they pass their test, the Irish Independent has learned.

Newly qualified drivers will also have to display an 'N' for 'novice' plate for the two years after passing their test.

The measures are aimed at cutting the number of deaths on our roads.

They should also have 'W's for the wánkers on the road...

anyways you think this will have an effect on driving habits?

i hate to admit but after getting 4 penalty points over the summer i have slowed down abit on the roads

pickarooney

It's a step in the right direction but the fact that learners are allowed rack up points on a licence they don't have is just absurd.

Where To

Yay another law for people to completely ignore.

Dravokivich

Hmm... Can't see how the N-plate would be of much use. Its a right pain seeing statistics referencing age/range experience and that they were involved. I'll like to see statistics as such on who were responsible.

the_syco

I wonder is there any stats to tell us how many points people who caused fatalities on our roads have?

jhegarty

Newly qualified drivers will also have to display an 'N' for 'novice' plate for the two years after passing their test.

Well that's going to stop someone driving down a country road, doing 200kph at 2am.


Pitty they didn't think of it earlier.

dr.bollocko

This still works within an environment where the learners are the problem and not the tossers who've had a full licence for 20 to 60 years but can't navigate a roundabout in a non-titly fashion.

Every step which makes it potentially safer is welcomed however when it comes to road safety, if you see how people anywhere in Ireland behave in rush hour at a junction, you get the feeling you're pissing into the wind.

Irish Halo

dr.bollocko wrote: »

non-titly

Surely a candidate for word of the day

GhostInTheRuins

Nobody is going to keep the N plates up for two years though, are they? Just like loads of people take their L plates down until they're doing the test.

The penalty point thing I agree with. I know someone who is just leaning how to drive and she is absolutely lethal behind the wheel. There's no way she should be on the roads. She got six penalty points in one day last month, but not to worry, her mother (who no longer drives) went down to the garda station and got them transferred onto her license. That needs to be changed.

Super-Rush

If the NRA want to do something positive then they should make all those people who got their license without sitting a test take one.

The_B_Man

FFS, I'm learning now (half way through lessons) and I just know that my insurance will go up as long as I have this "N" plate!

CreepingDeath

davet82 wrote: »

They should also have 'W's for the wánkers on the road...

That's included in the "BMW" logo.

4zn76tysfajdxp

davet82 wrote: »

They should also have 'W's for the wánkers on the road...

They do, it's preceded by "BM" though.

4zn76tysfajdxp

CreepingDeath wrote: »

That's included in the "BMW" logo.

Ah, damn it.

BizzyC

I think it's a good idea.
Single out people who are most likely to get into/cause an accident so that they know they have to be more careful then others.

I dont mind that I'll need an "N" plate for a while when I get my license if it has a chance of cutting down on the number of road accidents that occur.

Procrastastudy

I drive pretty quickly, sometimes...

If I have the L-plate up it doesn't matter how fast I'm going someone, usually in an Audi, is always sitting on my arse or trying to overtake. I don't think N plates are a good idea.

Also has anyone else noticed that everyone with a 'Baby on Board' sticker drives like a loon?

Commence flaming for driving as a learner with no L plate up.

Lando Griffin

A few weeks back I got driving behind a L driver. She had nobody in the car with her.
First at a roundabout she went into the right lane with right indicator on then proceeded to drive straight on. Going 30kmph in an 80 she then jammed on the brakes about 5 car lengths from a left turn then indicated and snuck wildly into the bend. She reduced her speed to 25kmph and jammed brakes again before a right turn indicated right, swong left and the took the turn.
I am a patient driver with learners but when how is someone supposed to learn when nobody is tutoring them.
The N plate is s good idea because you may only have passed your test 1 day and driving on a Motorway for the first time.

BizzyC

The_B_Man wrote: »

FFS, I'm learning now (half way through lessons) and I just know that my insurance will go up as long as I have this "N" plate!

Your insurance will be up anyway.
If you dont have a history of being insured on a car the premium is higher....

humbert

davet82 wrote: »

They should also have 'W's for the wánkers on the road...

i hate to admit but after getting 4 penalty points over the summer i have slowed down abit on the roads

Jesus wept.

jhegarty

BizzyC wrote: »

I think it's a good idea.
Single out people who are most likely to get into/cause an accident so that they know they have to be more careful then others.

I dont mind that I'll need an "N" plate for a while when I get my license if it has a chance of cutting down on the number of road accidents that occur.

If it can magically reduce accidents everyone should need an "N" plate.

Procrastastudy

jhegarty wrote: »

If it can magically reduce accidents everyone should need an "N" plate.

What they should do is make everyone with points display the number of points on a sticker in the back window! They are the ones that need avoiding.

Dravokivich

Procrastastudy wrote: »

What they should do is make everyone with points display the number of points on a sticker in the back window! They are the ones that need avoiding.

Is it not the other way around? The people who crash / speed / drive wrecklessly in whatever manner. Is it not them who should be doing the avoiding in the first place?

I reckon someone who knows a TD has a lot of N stickers somewhere they can't shift.

JOBS FOR THE BOYS!

Lord TSC

I like this idea. I started driving a year ago and got my full license about 4 months ago.

Having the L plates up, for the most part, meant most people were patient enough and calm enough to let you make mistakes, were obliging enough to be careful around you and what have you. But I know, personally, the day I took down the L plate, I saw a change in the way drivers treated you on the road.

Passing the test didn't mean I was a perfect driver; it meant I drove well for about 40 minutes. I still make mistakes, stall the car, etc. Only now people don't expect that to happen. I'd be quite happy to have some sign in my car which lets people know "Hey, I know what I'm doing, but I'm still new-ish, so back the **** off".

BizzyC

jhegarty wrote: »

If it can magically reduce accidents everyone should need an "N" plate.

Yeah, the plate itself probably isn't all that important.

Maybe giving people a seperate license makes more sense?

ie Provisional -> New Driver -> Full License

Undercover Elephant

Procrastastudy wrote: »

Also has anyone else noticed that everyone with a 'Baby on Board' sticker drives like a loon?

Not so much as the ones with a "Jesus Is Lord" sticker.

JohnMarston

So learner drivers are expected to drive damn near perfect in their test to pass (still can depend on mood of tester) just so their certificate of competency is followed up with a figurative dunce cap for two years?

Potential-Monke

It's a start, but they also need to change the re licencing rules.

Once your licence is expired, you should have to resit the test. At the moment, i believe you have 3 years to apply for a new one without any test. That's just lunacy.

Also, the Gardai should have the power to make someone take the test. If they fail the test, licence is gone and they have to start from scratch. If they pass, fine/points.

keithclancy

Potential-Monke wrote: »

It's a start, but they also need to change the re licencing rules.

Once your licence is expired, you should have to resit the test. At the moment, i believe you have 3 years to apply for a new one without any test. That's just lunacy.

Also, the Gardai should have the power to make someone take the test. If they fail the test, licence is gone and they have to start from scratch. If they pass, fine/points.

Ah yeh ... that'd work, seeing as theres already a waiting list for driving tests :P

Potential-Monke

keithclancy wrote: »

Ah yeh ... that'd work, seeing as theres already a waiting list for driving tests :P

But it would be a money maker too. Increase the number of test centres and testers to manage the increase in tests required, more jobs, more people spending money, economy sorted! :P

Nichololas

BizzyC wrote: »

I think it's a good idea.
Single out people who are most likely to get into/cause an accident so that they know they have to be more careful then others.

I dont mind that I'll need an "N" plate for a while when I get my license if it has a chance of cutting down on the number of road accidents that occur.

There's more to it than inexperienced learner drivers not being great at driving (shocker). The amount of ire and anger directed at anybody with L plates on the roads is awful. It's not surprising that a lot of learner drivers remove the L plates because some pr*cks have this attitude that "oh there's a learner driver ahead of me, therefore he/she must be driving too slow/doing something wrong".

Road safety is obviously important, but there's an entire culture of bad driving that we're slowly improving (e.g., drink-driving is unacceptable to most of my friends and our age-group, but not for our parents generation), and saddling learner drivers with another ineffectual measure is not going to solve it. (Let's be honest, most people will not keep them on for that long).

irishgeo

its all a waste of time without enforcement.

why have 1 penalty point for people who dont display the N or L plates as required by the law.