New licencing rules January 19th 2013

Faith+1

The RSA have updated their website with more information. Might be of use to learners and existing licence holders. Not complaining about the new Card Licence!

http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Licensed-Drivers/Driving-licence/Driving-Licence-Changes-January-2013/

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/New-Driver-Licensing-Rules-from-January-2013/

BUBBLE WRAP

Was there talk about the "N" plate recently?

Faith+1

Yep, that's coming in next year for new licence applicants.

Wishbone Ash

Looks like they may have made a mistake on the sample pictured licence as the holder is licenced for categories 'B' and 'EB' from the same date in 2012. This couldn't be possible.

BUBBLE WRAP

Faith+1 wrote: »

Yep, that's coming in next year for new licence applicants.

Like early 2013? :eek:

cojomo2

Faith+1 wrote: »

Yep, that's coming in next year for new licence applicants.

Will it apply to motorbikes?

Faith+1

BUBBLE WRAP wrote: »

Like early 2013? :eek:

No dates as yet but It only applies to new LP holders after it's introduced.

cojomo2 wrote: »

Will it apply to motorbikes?

No, but there's a ton of new rules being introduced from January 19th. As a learner you have to wear an L Vest though.

If you're under 24 it will be a right pain in the ass to get the full 'A'.

http://www.rsa.ie/en/RSA/Learner-Drivers/New-Driver-Licensing-Rules-from-January-2013/

BUBBLE WRAP

Faith+1 wrote: »

No dates as yet but It only applies to new LP holders after it's introduced

Ah phew. You know your stuff fairplay!

akura

So i have my test next monday the 26th, if i pass would i be best to send the Certificate of Competency off right away or wait until January

spurious

akura wrote: »

So i have my test next monday the 26th, if i pass would i be best to send the Certificate of Competency off right away or wait until January

Wait til Jan to avoid carrying the laughable piece of paper, unless you should mysteriously 'lose' it and need to have it replaced.

I would pay a premium of a few quid to be able to change it directly and not either wait until it's up, or 'lose' it. I suppose nobody in civil service land thought of offering that option.

Faith+1

spurious wrote: »

Wait til Jan to avoid carrying the laughable piece of paper, unless you should mysteriously 'lose' it and need to have it replaced.

I would pay a premium of a few quid to be able to change it directly and not either wait until it's up, or 'lose' it. I suppose nobody in civil service land thought of offering that option.

If he does this then he/she is still classed as a learner .i.e No motorways, accompanied by a licenced driver etc....

Wishbone Ash

spurious wrote: »

unless you should mysteriously 'lose' it and need to have it replaced

If the licence is "lost" one is required to give an explanation to the Gardai and have them sign and stamp the relevant forms. I presume it is an offence to provide false information to them. A replacement licence also has a code on it to indicate that it is a replacement.

But I agree with your sentiments. Perhaps this will be offered in due course after the initial period but would probably require a new statutory instrument.

donkey balls

And remember lads those of you who hold either a bus/truck licence means it will only be valid for five years, Which has me thinking will the RSA charge the drivers half the price of a ten year licence.:rolleyes:

Faith+1

donkey balls wrote: »

And remember lads those of you who hold either a bus/truck licence means it will only be valid for five years, Which has me thinking will the RSA charge the drivers half the price of a ten year licence.:rolleyes:

Good one DonkeyBalls!

Silvera

Faith+1 wrote: »

If he does this then he/she is still classed as a learner .i.e No motorways, accompanied by a licenced driver etc....

Please explain?

DriversEd

just going over some of the new changes and noticed a mistake on the rsa website regarding the info theyre giving re car and trailer licenses.
on this page, (http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/Third%20Directive/Link%208.pdf), in the first paragraph it states that DGVW is the weight a trailer can carry, which of course its not!! but the total weight that the trailer and the load must not exceed.
i sent off an email to let them know. but its a strange one to make a slip up when theyre telling us the rules no!!

Faith+1

Silvera wrote: »

Please explain?

Until you actually hand in your LP, photo's, Application and Pass Cert, you are still a Learner Driver. Your application has to be processed and be on the system to be counted has a full licence holder.

That's the mistake alot of Motorcyclists do after passing their test, they throw the cert in the draw and decide to apply when it suits them. However until they hand them in, their 2 year countdown restriction will not start.

CiniO

DriversEd wrote: »

just going over some of the new changes and noticed a mistake on the rsa website regarding the info theyre giving re car and trailer licenses.
on this page, (http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Learner%20Drivers/Third%20Directive/Link%208.pdf), in the first paragraph it states that DGVW is the weight a trailer can carry, which of course its not!! but the total weight that the trailer and the load must not exceed.
i sent off an email to let them know. but its a strange one to make a slip up when theyre telling us the rules no!!

There's plenty of things like that from RSA.
Actually in relation to towing a trailer, it looks like regulations are changing from 19th January, and B licence holders will be allowed to tow a combination of vehicles which sum of GVW is 4250kg.

“7.(1) A combination of vehicles which consists of a drawing vehicle and a trailer shall, for the purpose of these Regulations, be regarded as a vehicle—

(a) in category B, where the drawing vehicle is in category B and—

(i) the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer does not exceed 750 kg, or

(ii) the design gross vehicle weight of the trailer exceeds 750 kg but where the design gross vehicle weight of the combination does not exceed 4,250 kg,

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2011/en/si/0483.html

Also RSA keep telling for a long while that buses are prohibited to use the most right lane on motorways for overtaking (like trucks are prohibited).
This information is indicated in ROTR, it's insdicated in RSA leaflet about motorway driving from Spring 2012, and someone from boards actually bothered to ask them through email and they confirmed buses were prohibited to overtake on most right lane of motorway.

In fact from April 2009 (I might be wrong about the date) special speed limit for buses was risen from 80km/h to 100km/h on motoways, and since then they are not prohibited from overtaking on the most right lane of motorway.
So information that RSA is forcing to us, is untrue.

I also recall an incident from about 2008 - 2009, where RSA issued recomendations to all DOE test centres to require speed limiters fitted to minibuses including 8 seater minibuses (8 passengers + driver).
Plenty of poor bus owners had to fit quite expensive speed limiter to those buses, only to find out a while later, that Law required those speed limiters only from buses equipped with more than 8 passenger seats.
8 seater minibuses were (and are) not required to have tachograph neither speed limiters, as well as special speed limits for buses don't apply to then, so those small minibuses can do 120km/h on motorway, in oppose to bigger buses which are limited to 100km/h.

Probably this list of RSA mistakes could be longer....

Silvera

CiniO wrote: »

There's plenty of things like that from RSA.
Actually in relation to towing a trailer, it looks like regulations are changing from 19th January, and B licence holders will be allowed to tow a combination of vehicles which sum of GVW is 4250kg.


I also recall an incident from about 2008 - 2009, where RSA issued recomendations to all DOE test centres to require speed limiters fitted to minibuses including 8 seater minibuses (8 passengers + driver).
Plenty of poor bus owners had to fit quite expensive speed limiter to those buses, only to find out a while later, that Law required those speed limiters only from buses equipped with more than 8 passenger seats.
8 seater minibuses were (and are) not required to have tachograph neither speed limiters, as well as special speed limits for buses don't apply to then, so those small minibuses can do 120km/h on motorway, in oppose to bigger buses which are limited to 100km/h.

Probably this list of RSA mistakes could be longer....

I agree.

I recently had to re-sit my C Theory Test (as my provisional EC licence expired over 5 years ago) even though -

A. There is no expiry date on Theory Test Certificates (I passed my original C theory (and practical test) in 2003), and
B. The RSA's own Theory Test book states 'you do no have to sit any theory test category more than once'.


Btw, the 4250dgvw (for B licence holders) section isnt new. That has been in place since 1990, but the DoE / RSA have only spelled it out more clearly in recent years. The B licence towing 'allowances' can be summarised as follows -

A. A vehicle with a dgvw of 3500kg with a trailer (with a dgvw of 750kg) attached (i.e. a combined dgvw of 4250kg), or
B. A vehicle and trailer combination where the trailer's dgvw does not exceed the vehicles unladen weight, and the combined vehicle/trailer weight does not exceed 3500kg.