First car problems

UnknownEntity

Hi guys, I'm going to be doing my theory test within the next couple of weeks and I have a couple of questions that I'm having difficulty finding answers for.

Once I finish the theory test and hopefully pass, what are the next steps? Do I wait until I finish the full test to get a car? Or should I just get a car now on my provisional license?

Is there a big difference in terms of insurance prices of getting insurance on a car when on a provisional license versus getting insurance while on a full license?

How long does it take from start to finish to get my full license? Assuming I started driving next week how long would I have to wait taking into account driving lessons, tests etc until I literally get my driving license?

Thanks in advance.

Galbin

1) You don't have to wait until you get a full test to get a car. However, if you buy a car of your own, you will be hammered by the insurance gangsters providers. Expect to pay 2000 at a minimum and sometimes as high as 4000. Once you get a full licence, insurance is much cheaper.

2)OTOH, the more practice you get the more likely you are to pass. In my case, I wasn't failed for big mistakes that many make on their first test. Instead, I was failed for a series of little mistakes I likely would not have made if I had a year or two of practice in my own car. I don't think it's a coincidence that everyone I know who passed first time drove around in their own car for years. So, if you can afford it, having your own car OR daily access to a car as a named driver is indeed the way to go.

3) You cannot sit your driving test until you have had a provisional licence for at least six months. However, the reality in Ireland is that most people have to take the test a few times in order to pass. And many centres have waiting lists of up to four months! So, it can take at least a year and in some cases a good few years to pass. Add on the six month waiting period for a first learner permit too.

Tl;dr: In summation, driving is great and gives you such freedom, but our licencing system sucks and it can take a long time to get a licence. Our test doesn't measure if you can drive safely: it instead measures a very specific style of driving in a short period of time. However, the more practice you get the more likely you are to pass this torture/test. Insurance for learners is a money racket, so many become named drivers on their parents or partners car.

Galbin

Galbin wrote: »

1) You don't have to wait until you get a full test to get a car. However, if you buy a car of your own, you will be hammered by the insurance gangsters providers. Expect to pay 2000 at a minimum and sometimes as high as 4000. Once you get a full licence, insurance is much cheaper.

Just out of interest, that reads like you think it's possible to get insurance on a new full licence for a decent bit under 2 grand, have you come across that much? I've been looking and the absolute lowest quote I found was on an old car I wouldn't want, TPFT for €1960.

UnknownEntity

Deleted User wrote:

Just out of interest, that reads like you think it's possible to get insurance on a new full licence for a decent bit under 2 grand, have you come across that much? I've been looking and the absolute lowest quote I found was on an old car I wouldn't want, TPFT for €1960.

Yeah even insurance on a full license is very expensive anyway. Would it be beneficial for me to get insured my dad's name and drive his car around until I get my own so that I can get some practise before the test?

beechwood55

UnknownEntity wrote: »

Would it be beneficial for me to get insured my dad's name and drive his car around until I get my own so that I can get some practise before the test?

Yes. The more you practice driving the better.
You will need to be a named driver on your father's policy.
I am with Aviva and my son did his driving in my car. He is named on my policy and until he passed his test he could only drive my car with either myself or his father as the accompanying driver. (My husband is also named on my policy).

Aviva run a good scheme for learner drivers. Have a look at their website and you will learn more about it.
My son has had a full licence now for 18 months. It cost €600 to add him as a named driver to my 1.4l car this summer.
We also have a 2l car owned by my husband. It would have cost €1400 to add our son to that policy. We didn't bother!

cruizer101

Galbin wrote: »

1)Once you get a full licence, insurance is much cheaper.

Cheaper alright not sure I'd say much they are still hammering new drivers

Galbin wrote: »

However, the reality in Ireland is that most people have to take the test a few times in order to pass

Majority of people I know passed first time, I wouldn't of thought there were that many had to take it multiple times.

If you can go on your Dad's insurance OP that would be the best thing to do, its the same as so many things at the end of the day the more practice you can get the better.

Del2005

Galbin wrote: »

3) You cannot sit your driving test until you have had a provisional licence for at least six months. However, the reality in Ireland is that most people have to take the test a few times in order to pass. And many centres have waiting lists of up to four months! So, it can take at least a year and in some cases a good few years to pass. Add on the six month waiting period for a first learner permit too.

Tl;dr: In summation, driving is great and gives you such freedom, but our licencing system sucks and it can take a long time to get a licence. Our test doesn't measure if you can drive safely: it instead measures a very specific style of driving in a short period of time. However, the more practice you get the more likely you are to pass this torture/test. Insurance for learners is a money racket, so many become named drivers on their parents or partners car.

You can't sit the test for 6 months but you can apply when ever you want. So if you get your permit you can apply the next day and put yourself down as unavailable for 6 months, then you will have a test date closer to 6 months than a year.

While the test not a test of real world driving most of the parts of the test are what you do in everyday driving.

Dravokivich

I generally don't like doing what I'm about to say, but OP, all the information you are looking for is easily available on the RSA's website. How come you haven't looked there? You would have gone through it to apply for a theory test and the bulk of what you are looking to understand is covered in the Rules of The Road they publish.

Are you genuinely ready for the theory test?

UnknownEntity

Thanks for the help guys.

Galbin

cruizer101 wrote: »

Majority of people I know passed first time, I wouldn't of thought there were that many had to take it multiple times.

Perhaps it's where I live then. It consistently has one of the lowest pass rates in the entire country every year. Most people who have done it in the past few years here have had to do it three or four times. Two at a minimum. And these are good drivers. I have been in their cars after they passed and they were smooth and safe. OTOH, the few I know who passed first time all drove around on their own for years, so driving was second nature to them. I think that's the difference between those who pass first time and those who do not. If driving is second nature then even nerves during the test won't let you make mistakes, as it's all in your muscle memory. Whereas if it's not second nature yet, then nerves will affect the performance. And it is a performance.

UnknownEntity

So let's say for arguments sake that I failed my test on the first try, do I have to wait ANOTHER 20 weeks or whatever the waiting time is to sit another test?

Galbin

UnknownEntity wrote: »

So let's say for arguments sake that I failed my test on the first try, do I have to wait ANOTHER 20 weeks or whatever the waiting time is to sit another test?

Sadly, yes. I was shocked when I found this out, but those who have to sit repeat tests simply go back to the back of the queue and thus to whatever waiting time their test centre is. In England, one only has to wait two weeks for a repeat test, I believe.

In your case, I'd definitely get insured on my father's car. Way cheaper, and you can get loads of practice if you live with or near him. You can also use the money saved to pay for professional lessons with a local instructor. You may know how to drive, but just like the Leaving Cert, a local tester will know all about the actual test.

Del2005

Galbin wrote: »

Sadly, yes. I was shocked when I found this out, but those who have to sit repeat tests simply go back to the back of the queue and thus to whatever waiting time their test centre is. In England, one only has to wait two weeks for a repeat test, I believe.

You can apply for cancellations and should get a quicker test, you can also call looking for a cancellation, but you get very little notice of the test if you go for a cancellation.

Galbin

Del2005 wrote: »

You can apply for cancellations and should get a quicker test, you can also call looking for a cancellation, but you get very little notice of the test if you go for a cancellation.

Yes, but depending on your centre, you can even be waiting for months on the cancellation list. The RSA told me there is a queue of people on the cancellation list in my area, for example. In short, OP may be very lucky and get the first time, but even then this will take at least six months. Worst case scenario (depending on his test centre's pass rates and availability), it could take a few years. I do wish someone had warned me of this when I started, TBH.

Galbin

Deleted User wrote: »

Just out of interest, that reads like you think it's possible to get insurance on a new full licence for a decent bit under 2 grand, have you come across that much? I've been looking and the absolute lowest quote I found was on an old car I wouldn't want, TPFT for €1960.

I am not sure on this. I was given the impression by my friends with full licences that they were paying <1000 a year. An old car massively increases the cost of insurance though. My broker said never buy an import or a car older than ten years, as the insurance gangs will hammer you for those. Of course, the joke is if you have to pay 2000 for insurance, how are you supposed to buy a nice used car for say 5000?

MJ434

Hi there,

Does anyone have any recommendations of cars to buy that are cheap to insurance on a provisional, what insurers would people recommend?

Thanks in advance...

Alanstrainor

MJ434 wrote: »

Hi there,

Does anyone have any recommendations of cars to buy that are cheap to insurance on a provisional, what insurers would people recommend?

Thanks in advance...

Your best bet would be to create a thread over in the buying forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1625

There's even an insurance forum:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1765

But really the deciding factors will be how much you have to spend on a car. And be sure to add up the approx cost of insurance/tax/maintenance. e.g if you decide you have 5k to spend on a car. Go to donedeal and look for cars in this bracket. Perhaps concentrate on small cars for starts. Fiesta, Yaris, Clio etc. Pick a fiesta and get some quotes online for that car and see if it is feasible to insure.

UnknownEntity

MJ434 wrote:

Does anyone have any recommendations of cars to buy that are cheap to insurance on a provisional, what insurers would people recommend?

Just get a car with as small of an engine as possible and make sure it's not over 10 years old.

2010RACHEL

Yeah I have just passed my test and am arranging first car . Getting insurance quotes was hard enough plenty would not give any.

Had to completely remove think car that was thinking about now looking at a 1.3 engine and the best insurance I can get is almost €2000 euro but was quoted over €5000 for same car.

UnknownEntity

2010RACHEL wrote:

Yeah I have just passed my test and am arranging first car . Getting insurance quotes was hard enough plenty would not give any.

2010RACHEL wrote:

Had to completely remove think car that was thinking about now looking at a 1.3 engine and the best insurance I can get is almost €2000 euro but was quoted over €5000 for same car.

Have you tried getting insurance under a parents name?

MascotDec85

UnknownEntity wrote: »

Have you tried getting insurance under a parents name?

This is "fronting" and amounts to insurance fraud.

UnknownEntity

MascotDec85 wrote:

This is "fronting" and amounts to insurance fraud.

How would the company even find out your parents aren't the main drivers if you were to make a claim? Honest question.

beechwood55

UnknownEntity wrote: »

How would the company even find out your parents aren't the main drivers if you were to make a claim? Honest question.

So you have not even done your theory test and you are already wondering about making false declarations to insurance companies?
Would you want to be in a position where you have a serious accident and then the insurance company start asking questions as to whether or not the cover is valid?

2010RACHEL

My parents live in UK so not really option plus am 35+ so don't think they would really buy it.

Dravokivich

2010RACHEL wrote: »

Yeah I have just passed my test and am arranging first car . Getting insurance quotes was hard enough plenty would not give any.

Had to completely remove think car that was thinking about now looking at a 1.3 engine and the best insurance I can get is almost €2000 euro but was quoted over €5000 for same car.

Everyone I checked I got a substantially better quote on a 1.8 petrol, than any 1 litre engine cars I enquired about. Doesn't make much sense. Only after recently passing my test also.

You might want to check out Arran Insurance. It's who I went with in the end. But don't be afraid to enquire something a bit bigger. You could be surprised what comes back.