Reporting an uninsured driver

nimrod86

So I have an acquaintance who has failed his driving test twice, and is driving around alone, uninsured, in a 1.8L VW Passat. He's only 18 and go be honest I don't feel he has the common sense/judgement to operate a push bike around other people.

So, should I report him this, and how would I go about doing it?

Thanks

eeguy

nimrod86 wrote: »

So I have an acquaintance who has failed his driving test twice, and is driving around alone, uninsured, in a 1.8L VW Passat. He's only 18 and go be honest I don't feel he has the common sense/judgement to operate a push bike around other people.

So, should I report him this, and how would I go about doing it?

Thanks

Give his reg and address to the guards?

Mervyn Skidmore

nimrod86 wrote: »

So I have an acquaintance who has failed his driving test twice, and is driving around alone, uninsured, in a 1.8L VW Passat. He's only 18 and go be honest I don't feel he has the common sense/judgement to operate a push bike around other people.

So, should I report him this, and how would I go about doing it?

Thanks

How do you know that he's uninsured?

Liam McPoyle

nimrod86 wrote: »

So I have an acquaintance who has failed his driving test twice, and is driving around alone, uninsured, in a 1.8L VW Passat. He's only 18 and go be honest I don't feel he has the common sense/judgement to operate a push bike around other people.

So, should I report him this, and how would I go about doing it?

Thanks

Absolutely, you can call the Garda Confidential line on 1 800 666 111.

All you need to do is give his reg and name.

goochy

i would warn him to stop or you will report him , if hes caught he will have criminal record . just tell him its for his and other peoples sake.

Supergurrier

Screw him, report it.

Gloves off for this nonsense

Liam McPoyle

Sitec wrote: »

You don't get a criminal record for motoring offences.

He will get a driving conviction though which will screw him forever more when trying to get insurance.

Proper order, taking his and others lives into his hands is simply unacceptable carry on no matter what age he is.

Boskowski

You gotta do something. Going by what you're saying about him it can't continue. Imagine you did nothing and he kills someone next week,

Eugene Norman

Surely the gardai have to catch him driving

K4t

Confront him and perhaps give him an ultimatum. If he is your friend, then I'd at least be honest with him about your intentions and concerns before involving the guards.

the_syco

Wait until he crashes into you, and then you'll be without a car.

Or just ring the Gardai, tell them what time he usually finishes, and where he usually drives to.

snoopy84

Mervyn Skidmore wrote:

How do you know that he's uninsured?

If he's driving alone on a provisional licence, he is not insured

slimjimmc

snoopy84 wrote: »

If he's driving alone on a provisional licence, he is not insured

That ultimately depends on the terms of his policy but yes it's generally the case with many policies.

K4t wrote: »

Confront him and perhaps give him an ultimatum. If he is your friend, then I'd at least be honest with him about your intentions and concerns before involving the guards.

OP said he was an acquaintance so he's probably not that close, and it might not be a good idea to confront him. There's may be a risk of some backlash.

K4t

snoopy84 wrote: »

If he's driving alone on a provisional licence, he is not insured

Big, in fact gigantic, difference between not being insured at all and being insured driving alone on a provisional.

slimjimmc wrote: »

OP said he was an acquaintance so he's probably not that close, and it might not be a good idea to confront him. There's may be a risk of some backlash.

In that case, I'd subtly mention it to the acquaintance about the insurance and if nothing changes, then report it in a few days - who knows perhaps the guy doesn't fully understand the seriousness of it - The op does, as does everyone here, so maybe we should give him the benefit of the doubt and attempt to teach him, rather than trying to teach him a lesson by going straight to the guards.

CiniO

slimjimmc wrote: »

That ultimately depends on the terms of his policy but yes it's generally the case with many policies.

Forgetting about his own car, and considering only third party cover, I'm sure insurer will be obliged to pay for a claim from third party in every case, and then only they might try to recover value of the claim from person insured.
But that doesn't really mean policy is void.

Limbo123

snoopy84 wrote: »

If he's driving alone on a provisional licence, he is not insured

Despite my repeated warnings falling on deaf ears, my nephew continued driving round with a provisional unsupervised. He was stopped at multiple checkpoints with L plates displaying and allowed to continue on his way with no issues whatsoever (they were only concerned with valid tax being displayed) AND when he inevitably crashed on way home from school and Gardai turned up, they took NO action about him driving unsupervised. Even his insurance wasnt affected which was really suprising.

The system and the people that police it are a joke. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose which laws they uphold.

Trying to get a youngster to abide by the laws only to find the Gardai and insurance company couldn't give a flying f**k...... you may as well be peeing in the wind.

Supergurrier

So he is insured then.

Riiiiiight.......

Speedwell

I have L plates and I drive alone because my husband is mostly blind and I have nobody else to drive with me. The difference is that I'm a middle-aged immigrant with a valid American license, plenty of practice driving on the left, and a perfect driving record for the part 10 years. My windshield disks are all properly up to date. I've been waiting three weeks to be informed of my test time and they tell me it will probably be another five or six to go. I appreciate being cut a little slack. I honestly don't know how else I'd manage.

savagethegoat

slimjimmc wrote: »

That ultimately depends on the terms of his policy but yes it's generally the case with many policies.

OP said he was an acquaintance so he's probably not that close, and it might not be a good idea to confront him. There's may be a risk of some backlash.

His Insurance Co (if he had one) would pay out third party claims but that's not the same as the Policy being valid. He is technically driving without Insurance imo. If you asked the Company (if he had one) if he was insured driving as he does they would say no

irelandrover

Speedwell wrote: »

I have L plates and I drive alone because my husband is mostly blind and I have nobody else to drive with me. The difference is that I'm a middle-aged immigrant with a valid American license, plenty of practice driving on the left, and a perfect driving record for the part 10 years. My windshield disks are all properly up to date. I've been waiting three weeks to be informed of my test time and they tell me it will probably be another five or six to go. I appreciate being cut a little slack. I honestly don't know how else I'd manage.

How would American police react to you driving around without a valid license?

Speedwell

irelandrover wrote: »

How would American police react to you driving around without a valid license?

Is that relevant to Ireland? Besides, I have a valid license; it's just not an Irish one. Yes, I am allowed to drive on it.

irelandrover

Speedwell wrote: »

Is that relevant to Ireland? Besides, I have a valid license; it's just not an Irish one. Yes, I am allowed to drive on it.

Is your previous driving history in the states relevant to Ireland?

Speedwell

irelandrover wrote: »

Is your previous driving history in the states relevant to Ireland?

Yes, as a matter of fact it is; it got me out of having to wait the six months before I could apply for an Irish license. As you doubtless remember. It also enabled me to get a no-claims discount on my car insurance.

jimgoose

As we're on the subject the situation with U.S. licenses is ridiculous. The only reason they're not properly recognised here and exchangeable under the reciprocity agreement is there's too many separate issuing jurisdictions over there. This somehow ceases to matter when an American tourist hires a car. Go figure, as they say over there. :pac:

Speedwell

Actually, I support the retesting restriction for Americans; I was able to take to the left-hand-side driving like a duck to water during business trips to Scotland, but so many of us have serious issues with it and with the different road sign standards. My biggest hurdle was driving a manual transmission. My European-born father refused to teach me; he literally said, "You'll never need to know". :P

Peregrinus

The problem is not so much that there are so many separate issuing jurisdictions in the US as that licensing standards vary so widely. In Texas, for example, you can pass your practical test by navigating around cones in an empty paved yard; you don't have to deal with any other actual traffic.

snoopy84

snoopy84 wrote: »

If he's driving alone on a provisional licence, he is not insured

Nonsense, driving alone on a provisional does not mean you aren't insured. The vast majority of people drive alone when learning to drive do you really think they are all uninsured?

Speedwell

Walker Clean Accident wrote: »

Nonsense, driving alone on a provisional does not mean you aren't insured. The vast majority of people drive alone when learning to drive do you really think they are all uninsured?

I don't know if this helps or not, but when I got my car insurance (Allianz, by the way), I didn't have my provisional yet. They still quoted me the same rate as a provisional license, so nothing changed once I got it. It took a certain amount of paperwork shuffling between Allianz and my old insurer in the US, but despite both sides having a bit of lost-in-translation terminology problems, it all got worked out.

morritty

Peregrinus wrote: »

The problem is not so much that there are so many separate issuing jurisdictions in the US as that licensing standards vary so widely. In Texas, for example, you can pass your practical test by navigating around cones in an empty paved yard; you don't have to deal with any other actual traffic.

But over here you answer a few questions, get a little green card, and you're allowed on the road, you don't have to deal with any other actual traffic.

jimgoose

Peregrinus wrote: »

The problem is not so much that there are so many separate issuing jurisdictions in the US as that licensing standards vary so widely. In Texas, for example, you can pass your practical test by navigating around cones in an empty paved yard; you don't have to deal with any other actual traffic.

More than a lot of people here seem to be able to do. And I doubt the RSA are fretting about the poor little clueless Texans. :pac:

Speedwell

jimgoose wrote: »

More than a lot of people here seem to be able to do. And I doubt the RSA are fretting about the poor little clueless Texans. :pac:

As one of the aforementioned poor little clueless Texans, LOL.... however, I did have to do rather more than drive around cones for my test! I would not be surprised to find that in the more remote areas standards are somewhat lax.

jimgoose

Speedwell wrote: »

As one of the aforementioned poor little clueless Texans, LOL.... however, I did have to do rather more than drive around cones for my test! I would not be surprised to find that in the more remote areas standards are somewhat lax.

<Goose throws big ol' Ford cruiser into the curb, puts on mirrored sunglasses, gets out and strolls over casually swinging a truncheon> "You ain't a-from aroun' heeyah, are ya boy?!?" :pac::pac::pac:

slimjimmc

savagethegoat wrote: »

His Insurance Co (if he had one) would pay out third party claims but that's not the same as the Policy being valid. He is technically driving without Insurance imo. If you asked the Company (if he had one) if he was insured driving as he does they would say no

The High Court has clarified that breaching the conditions of a Learner Permit temporarily invalidates your permission to drive and you would be driving without a licence. In this particular case the defendant's conviction in the District Court for no insurance was overturned not because he was driving alone or without L-plates but because his insurance policy did not make cover dependant on him complying with his Learner Permit conditions. Ergo cover is dependant on the terms of his insurance contract.
http://www.courts.ie/Judgments.nsf/09859e7a3f34669680256ef3004a27de/8f0b0cd9456dfd3380257db10043d9b5?OpenDocument

Opinion
16. The following is the court’s opinion in respect of the question posed:-

1. The defendant drove a mechanically propelled vehicle on 19th November, 2012, at a time when he possessed a learner permit licence valid to cover his driving on that date subject to his compliance with, inter alia, the two conditions that he be accompanied by a qualified driver and that he display “L” plates on the vehicle while he was driving, breach of which rendered the learner permit licence temporarily ineffective as a result of which he was driving a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place whilst not holding a driving licence for the time being in effect and licensing him to drive the vehicle and on the facts accepted and established is liable to conviction for an offence contrary to section 38 of the Road Traffic Act 1961 (as amended).
2. The defendant should not be convicted of an offence contrary to s. 56(1) and (3) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended by s. 18 of the Road Traffic Act 2006, or failure to produce a certificate of insurance or exemption in respect of the use of his vehicle on 19th November, 2012, contrary to s. 69(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended, because he had a certificate of insurance which covered him on the date which was not made conditional in its terms on the accused complying with the terms of a learner permit licence.

Bogger77

goochy wrote: »

i would warn him to stop or you will report him , if hes caught he will have criminal record . just tell him its for his and other peoples sake.

never do this, cos if he's stopped randomly, he'll blame you.

Report him, or don't report him, don't mention to him that a) you think he's not insured, and b) that you're thinking of reporting him.

anyhows, as someone who was hit my an uninsured driver, report him and let the cops stop him and see if he is insured.

nimrod86

Thanks for all the advice, I know he's uninsured because I have confronted him about it before and nothing has changed. He says insurance is too expensive, as are lessons so he can pass his driving test (he's failed two already)

He know's what he is doing is illegal, but refuses to change. The reason I feel I should do something about it now is that he told me his father (only other driver in the house) is away for two months so he's doing all the family shopping, etc... and then sent a snapchat of himself behind the wheel captioned "Woohoo!!! I'm driving".

So I think my next action is to swing by his place and get the reg plate and address and go down to the local station - I did warn/threaten before that I would do this, so it's not like he doesn't know it's coming - just don't like him knowing it's me that did it!

To Elland Back

nimrod86 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, I know he's uninsured because I have confronted him about it before and nothing has changed. He says insurance is too expensive, as are lessons so he can pass his driving test (he's failed two already)

He know's what he is doing is illegal, but refuses to change. The reason I feel I should do something about it now is that he told me his father (only other driver in the house) is away for two months so he's doing all the family shopping, etc... and then sent a snapchat of himself behind the wheel captioned "Woohoo!!! I'm driving".

So I think my next action is to swing by his place and get the reg plate and address and go down to the local station - I did warn/threaten before that I would do this, so it's not like he doesn't know it's coming - just don't like him knowing it's me that did it!

Fair play for your civic duty. If you intend to report this to the Gardai, discuss with them the possibility of a 'random stop'. If he has a certain daily routine, they could stop him and you're in the clear blame wise

aunt aggie

nimrod86 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, I know he's uninsured because I have confronted him about it before and nothing has changed. He says insurance is too expensive, as are lessons so he can pass his driving test (he's failed two already)

He know's what he is doing is illegal, but refuses to change. The reason I feel I should do something about it now is that he told me his father (only other driver in the house) is away for two months so he's doing all the family shopping, etc... and then sent a snapchat of himself behind the wheel captioned "Woohoo!!! I'm driving".

So I think my next action is to swing by his place and get the reg plate and address and go down to the local station - I did warn/threaten before that I would do this, so it's not like he doesn't know it's coming - just don't like him knowing it's me that did it!

WTF??!! On top of ALL this, he's now using snapchat while driving?!?!?

My only concern is that as you've warned him you might report him, it will come back on you. Maybe just pass along the reg and anonymously complain of a young driver using a phone while driving. They should be able to figure out the rest on their own.

This is a very different from a provisional driver who needs to get to work driving unaccompanied. He is putting lives in danger and I have no pity for someone like that been taken off the road.

Speedwell

He's the only driver in the house? If you have one ounce of compassion, you'll offer to help him get to, oh, work, doctor's appointments, the shop, you know, the things he and his family would be in desperation without.

Speedwell

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Maybe clean the dishes, pay some of his taxes, cut the grass cop on the guy is driving uninsured. People like him are one of the reasons why half the threads in here are about high insurance premiums :mad:

So droll. I bet you'd inform on someone who stole diapers for her newborn baby because her feckless boyfriend stole her paycheck. A real law-abiding, stand-up citizen, you are.

nimrod86

Speedwell wrote: »

He's the only driver in the house? If you have one ounce of compassion, you'll offer to help him get to, oh, work, doctor's appointments, the shop, you know, the things he and his family would be in desperation without.

I would gladly help him out, but I'm not living in the area at the moment. It might sound harsh but the area he's in is town, and not too far a walk from the shops. Plenty of people get around by other means when driving isn't an option to them for whatever reason.

Speedwell

nimrod86 wrote: »

I would gladly help him out, but I'm not living in the area at the moment. It might sound harsh but the area he's in is town, and not too far a walk from the shops. Plenty of people get around by other means when driving isn't an option to them for whatever reason.

Fair enough. If it's not a hardship on him, that's fine. I kind of had a twinge of conscience when you said he was the family's only driver.

whupdedo

Speedwell wrote: »

He's the only driver in the house? If you have one ounce of compassion, you'll offer to help him get to, oh, work, doctor's appointments, the shop, you know, the things he and his family would be in desperation without.

Fcuk that , I pay my money for insurance , tax and annual roadworthy test , are we supposed to have sympathy for some gob****e who won't bother paying their way because "it's too expensive " let him buy a cheap bike if he doesn't want to say for the cost of motoring

Boskowski

Seriously?!? So if he's the family's only driver it's now all ok to drive uninsured?
You would think if it was that important for the family that he can drive they'd see to it that he's legal?

BuffyBot

just don't like him knowing it's me that did it!

Somehow, by your description of his activities, I doubt you might be the sole suspect in that line up..