When will the Gardai do their job and stop unlicensed drivers.

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

Kids driving vehicles,

All the norm in my parts.


Yesterday I witnessed a local lad of 11 driving his dads van, its common to see lads from the local secondary school aged around 13-15 driving vehicles.

I know many learner drivers who havent passed the driving test and have no plan to pass the test and yet continue to drive on their own.

The local Garda knows all about this but when he himself is a constant drink driver and plays GAA with all the locals.

Sometimes I feel like I live in the WILD WILD West!

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

kneemos

Donegal?

kneemos

kneemos wrote: »

Donegal?

Roscommon!

tallus

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

keith16

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.


When will the Gardai stop this madness!

Did you report it?

Reekwind

Deleted User wrote: »

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

Presumably they're all too preoccupied trying to figure out how they're going to tackle scumbags on beaches, imprison deaf killers, stop pervert voyeurs, chase tax-evading returning emigrants and cope with all the other outraged demands on the first page of AH.

keith16

keith16 wrote: »

Did you report it?

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

I just wish a Traffic corp vehicle sat in our village for a day, the revenue it could make, Ireland would be debt free!

Maphisto

tallus wrote: »

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

Pedophile gards :eek:

kneemos

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Roscommon!

Aw.

JuliusCaesar

Deleted User wrote: »

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

Try the Garda Ombudsman. Try the Regional HQ.

Bolded: Massive assumption.

same ol sh1te

I'd be more concerned with those licensed drivers on our roads with no clue how to drive

same ol sh1te

same ol sh1te wrote: »

I'd be more concerned with those licensed drivers on our roads with no clue how to drive

Than 11 year olds driving transit vans?

same ol sh1te

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Than 11 year olds driving transit vans?

How do you know they were 11?

pandaboy

Reekwind wrote: »

Presumably they're all too preoccupied trying to figure out how they're going to tackle scumbags on beaches, imprison deaf killers, stop pervert voyeurs, chase tax-evading returning emigrants and cope with all the other outraged demands on the first page of AH.

Roscommon, DANGER Capital of Ireland. Too dangerous for Paul Williams to report on.

Get your point, but in the rural context there are a lot of places where this could be stopped. Given in urban ares with higher population density and crime reporting then this can be understood, to a degree though. Like if there's the technology to snap people's license plates and driver window for the toll on the M50 then surely this could be applied to regulating L drivers on the road.

Heisenberg1

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

pandaboy

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

Distract them with their own license issues so you can get your full Campervan license Heisenberg. I know what you're up to!

same ol sh1te

same ol sh1te wrote: »

How do you know they were 11?

Because my son goes to school with him!

Yamanoto

Deleted User wrote: »

Because my son goes to school with him!

Leaving the Guards to one side for a sec, what sort of parent lets their 11 year old child drive a vehicle on a public road?

Fcukwits of the highest order.

martingriff

Deleted User wrote: »

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

Kids driving vehicles,

All the norm in my parts.


Yesterday I witnessed a local lad of 11 driving his dads van, its common to see lads from the local secondary school aged around 13-15 driving vehicles.

I know many learner drivers who havent passed the driving test and have no plan to pass the test and yet continue to drive on their own.

The local Garda knows all about this but when he himself is a constant drink driver and plays GAA with all the locals.

Sometimes I feel like I live in the WILD WILD West!

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

If they do not have L plated up how well there know for sure

Heisenberg1 wrote: »

Sure most of the guards themselves don't have a full licence to drive they should tackle that first.

Hope you have a source for that

Sam Kade

kneemos wrote: »

Donegal?

Deleted User wrote: »

Roscommon!

Killinascully!

Shiraz 4.99

I played a competition in Roscommon Golf Club once about 20 years ago.
As we were in the running for a prize we stayed on until the end so I was supping porter despite being the driver.
Probably had the full gallon in me when we set off with our Waterford Crystal, only made it about a mile before we hit a checkpoint.
That's was it, I was ready to surrender the car, hoping the lads had enough between them for a taxi back to Naas, slowly we edged forward in the queue.
The car in front of me got called up, Guards were knocking on the glass, no response, next thing they opened the drivers door & your man just fell out onto the tarmac, he was twice as sozzled as I was.
In the kerfuffle the guards waved us on while trying to pick your man up off the road.
We were on such a high we stopped in every town on the way home for more.

OP, there's still pockets of lawlessness out there but they're being rooted out, old Guards will retire & be replaced by a better police service for all.

whisky_galore

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

OP, there's still pockets of lawlessness out there but they're being rooted out, old Guards will retire & be replaced by a better police service for all.

I don't know, the go-getting young guards catching lads going 5k over the speed limit will mature into the architypal lazy rural cop.

Jester252

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

I just wish a Traffic corp vehicle sat in our village for a day, the revenue it could make, Ireland would be debt free!

You are pissed because the gardas didn't do anything about an event that you didn't try to inform them of.

EazyD

Here's a suggestion OP, why not contact the parents themselves and ask why in gods name is their 11 yr old is driving? While I can imagine they aren't the brightest bunch, I can't imagine anyone is stupid enough to condone it especially when confronted.

Cienciano

tallus wrote: »

Two weeks back I witnessed two Gardai allowing a child to steer a squad car around the car wash in a filling station in Citywest. The kid was sitting on the drivers lap steering the car. I was shocked tbh.
The driver just looked at me and smiled.
They are Probably not that worried about learner drivers driving alone in this case anyways.

Fair play to the gardai there tbh.

loveisdivine

A young girl I work with has been driving alone on her learner plate for about 6 months now, during that time she's got a speeding fine and had a minor crash. She went for her test last week, failed on numerous counts including speeding! But she's still out there driving alone every day while she waits for another test.

Drives me mad really. Its something I've only really come across in Ireland. Back in England its considered by most to be a complete no-no and illegal!

Dian Cecht

Isn't their insurance invalid if on a provisional licence & driving alone or with no "L" plate displayed?

The Backwards Man

Find out the number of the district HQ and ring it, more chance of something being done. I'd never ring a local station, despite (or maybe because of) knowing most by name.

whomitconcerns

Dian Cecht wrote: »

Isn't their insurance invalid if on a provisional licence & driving alone or with no "L" plate displayed?

If they had fully comp it may be for them depending on T&C's.

But third party insurance would still be valid.

Awkward Badger

Not so sure about the L plate business. I recall them cracking down on that before and there was a public backlash about the fact they were making it impossible for some people to go to work given they were just learners and could have a full licence driver with them all the time.

Kimbot

I know of one place where numerous drivers are banned off the road for driving with no licence/insurance/tax/nct yet are still driving around in their cars with no licence/insurance/tax/nct even though they are banned. The gardai dont really care cos they know they are going to do it either way which is a joke.

Shiraz 4.99

Pugsly wrote: »

Not so sure about the L plate business. I recall them cracking down on that before and there was a public backlash about the fact they were making it impossible for some people to go to work given they were just learners and could have a full licence driver with them all the time.

I work with 3 current learners & realistically the Motorway is their only route to work.
Simple answer was to take down their L plates, it's the equivalent of having a big flashing neon sign on your car saying pull me.

Gannicus

Deleted User wrote: »

Rural Ireland.

Learner`s driving on their own.

Kids driving vehicles,

All the norm in my parts.


Yesterday I witnessed a local lad of 11 driving his dads van, its common to see lads from the local secondary school aged around 13-15 driving vehicles.

I know many learner drivers who havent passed the driving test and have no plan to pass the test and yet continue to drive on their own.

The local Garda knows all about this but when he himself is a constant drink driver and plays GAA with all the locals.

Sometimes I feel like I live in the WILD WILD West!

When will the Gardai stop this madness!

Have you reported this in detail to the Garda Ombudsman or Gardai in Dublin castle (preferably both) giving dates times and vehicle regs (send pictures or vids too is possible). Someone is going to get killed. Thats pure madness if any of this is true.

Gannicus

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

I work with 3 current learners & realistically the Motorway is their only route to work.
Simple answer was to take down their L plates, it's the equivalent of having a big flashing neon sign on your car saying pull me.

I had one of those signs on my car before. I was told to take it down by the gardai

Alf. A. Male

Big Steve wrote: »

I had one of those signs on my car before. I was told to take it down by the gardai

Did they help you to remove it? Or did they make you pull it off yourself?

seamus

Shiraz 4.99 wrote: »

I work with 3 current learners & realistically the Motorway is their only route to work.

Realistically nothing, they have chosen to use the motorway to get to work because it is convenient.
If they started the job before they started driving, then at some point they got to work without driving.
If they started driving before they got the job, then they took the job knowing full well that they would use the motorway to get there.

It's one thing which always irritates me about driving is the sense of entitlement, this idea that you have to break the law in some circumstances because you have no choice. It's almost always an excuse to justify breaking the law for one's own convenience and not a statement of truth.

Really we're edging close to the limit of what can be accomplished with our current set up on the road. As a society we want a traffic corps who enforce the law for everyone else by pulling over L-drivers and fining people for no tax, but who go easy on me when they pull me over for having tax a week out. We need to decide if we want a rigid system of enforcement like the UK where you have relatively uncompromising traffic cops backed up by a huge network of cameras, or if we want a more flexible but occasionally infuriating system where poor drivers get away with it 9 times out of ten and only lipservice is paid to the less serious laws like L plates, amber lights and double-yellow lines.

Awkward Badger

seamus wrote: »

Realistically nothing, they have chosen to use the motorway to get to work because it is convenient.
If they started the job before they started driving, then at some point they got to work without driving.
If they started driving before they got the job, then they took the job knowing full well that they would use the motorway to get there.

It's one thing which always irritates me about driving is the sense of entitlement, this idea that you have to break the law in some circumstances because you have no choice. It's almost always an excuse to justify breaking the law for one's own convenience and not a statement of truth.

Except life isn't that simple and its not all about convenience and entitlement. Some times its about necessity.

Many people myself included lived in towns and cities where there was employment close by and didn't need a car. A lot of peoples circumstances have changed over the last few years and it may not have been really feasible for some to sit around waiting to get a full driving licence and incurring the cost that goes with that before seeking or accepting employment and a steady income that required a car to get to.

intellectual dosser

Pugsly wrote: »

Except life isn't that simple and its not all about convenience and entitlement. Some times its about necessity.

Many people myself included lived in towns and cities where there was employment close by and didn't need a car. A lot of peoples circumstances have changed over the last few years and it may not have been really feasible for some to sit around waiting to get a full driving licence and incurring the cost that goes with that before seeking or accepting employment and a steady income that required a car to get to.

The Law is the Law.

Our country may not have a great record of implementing but nothing justifies breaking it.

Yellowblackbird

intellectual dosser wrote: »

The Law is the Law.....nothing justifies breaking it.

What if you were late for dinner? Or what if somebody died if you didn't break the law? What if you lived in the third reich and the law said you should do no business with jews?

Awkward Badger

intellectual dosser wrote: »

The Law is the Law.

Our country may not have a great record of implementing but nothing justifies breaking it.

That doesn't mean that anyone who does so is doing so out of a sense of entitlement though. Sometimes people are forced by circumstance to take the risk.

intellectual dosser

Pugsly wrote: »

That doesn't mean that anyone who does so is doing so out of a sense of entitlement though. Sometimes people are forced by circumstance to take the risk.

Well I still think they shouldnt be putting themselves in a position where they dont have a viable transport solution available to them, but even so, do you agree that these people should still be prosecuted if/when caught?

Awkward Badger

intellectual dosser wrote: »

Well I still think they shouldnt be putting themselves in a position where they dont have a viable transport solution available to them, but even so, do you agree that these people should still be prosecuted if/when caught?

That's why I brought it up. I said in my other post I wast sure about it. They did crack down on it a while ago but there was some public backlash over it as a lot of stories emegred about people who had just learned to drive to find work and them not being forced to quit and sign on if they couldn't drive.

I think it should probably be down to the discretion of the Gardai dealing with it. I'm not sure a blanket policy iron fist no quarter approach can work with these types of things. If its a person on their way to work I think they could be let slide with a warning or whatever.

Dian Cecht

Pugsly wrote: »

That doesn't mean that anyone who does so is doing so out of a sense of entitlement though. Sometimes people are forced by circumstance to take the risk.

Fair enough. But if they decide to "take the risk" and get caught they should accept the consequences too. This country is a joke. People get off with "he/she had a tough childhood blah, blah" and have a crap load of previous convictions !

TheBrinch

I think most learner drivers dont give a crap because the driving test is a money making scheme and they have a certain percentage of people they have to pass and have to fail...throwing away 85 quid every few months when they could fail you for no reason is ridiculous.

Ive been driving on a learner permit for the past 5 years and I have no intention of doing a driving test anytime soon. Its a joke really.

intellectual dosser

Pugsly wrote: »

That's why I brought it up. I said in my other post I wast sure about it. They did crack down on it a while ago but there was some public backlash over it as a lot of stories emegred about people who had just learned to drive to find work and them not being forced to quit and sign on if they couldn't drive.

I think it should probably be down to the discretion of the Gardai dealing with it. I'm not sure a blanket policy iron fist no quarter approach can work with these types of things. If its a person on their way to work I think they could be let slide with a warning or whatever.

I was a goody two shoes when I was on my learner permit. I never drove without an accompanied driver etc, and to this day I've never had an accident or picked up a penalty point (whoopdeedoo good for me!?!).

My point is that if people are going to start taking risks while on their learner permit I'd be concerned about how that complacency could deteriorate further as their driving continues.

That's why I'd be more in favour of the iron fist mentality.

Awkward Badger

Dian Cecht wrote: »

Fair enough. But if they decide to "take the risk" and get caught they should accept the consequences too. This country is a joke. People get off with "he/she had a tough childhood blah, blah" and have a crap load of previous convictions !

Well criminal convictions are a separate matter. I'd image with motor offences most of them are dealt with by issues fines or penalty points. If someone got fined for driving as a learner without a full licences driver with them I wouldn't complain about it, as I said its a risk. But I'd probably prefer they were let off with a warning tbh if they were driving to get to and from work.

Dian Cecht

It is a criminal offence, isn't it?

*No "L" plate is a criminal offence but unaccompanied isn't apparently

Shiraz 4.99

Remember, this is Ireland, it's not against the law unless you are caught, you're a cute whore up to that point.
Carry on.

slimjimmc

Deleted User wrote: »

Whats the point?

The Local Garda is a drink driver and knows about all that is going on, the main Garda Station in Roscommon dont like to venture out to the villages and leave the policing to the local Garda, and I doubt they would step on the toes of the local Garda. And I wouldnt trust them not to mention my name and Im the one who would get the hassle!

I just wish a Traffic corp vehicle sat in our village for a day, the revenue it could make, Ireland would be debt free!

There won't be a car there unless someone starts complaining.
Report it to TrafficWatch. The complaint will be recorded and sent to yer man's Superintendent. Or don't clog up TW phone lines and just go directly to the Super.
http://www.garda.ie/Controller.aspx?Page=111

Put it this way, if you're committed to doing something about the problem (rather that hoping someone else will) there are many ways of making complaints and getting action.

EddieConlon

Only traffic Guards would do you for driving unaccompanied on a learner permit,and even then if you act polite,aren't known to them and apologise a thousand times they'll let you away with it.

I always laugh when I see people complaining about learners driving alone when you can be sure they didnt it themselves.

I dint know a single person who didn't drive alone and everyone I know drives. I drove for 6 months myself on a provisional, in fact my parents encouraged it as they always maintain its the best way to prepare for the test is to get out there on your own. Of course myself and my two sisters passed the text first time with virtually no faults thanks to the experience we had build up.

Local guards have better things be doing than harassing locals with this minor sort of stuff.