L & N plates on the same car?

Lily_Aldrin7

Hi all,

My husband & I share a car. He’s a learner driver and I passed my test yesterday and applied for my full licence today. Once I receive it, I’m supposed to have N plates on but he still needs the L plates. Does anyone know what we are supposed to do in this case ? Do I put the N plates and take them off and replace them with L every time my husband uses the car?

robarmstrong

From what I'm aware you would have to chop and change (use those magnetic plates rather than the sticker ones), as if they're both up on the car if your husband gets pulled at a checkpoint he could potentially face action for having (technically) the wrong plates displayed on top of his own.

If I were you actually I'd ring either the RSA or your local garda station, I had a query like this before and I found the Gardai to be very helpful on the matter.

marketty

I hear the rumble of high-horses approaching...someone's going to tell you change them every time.
I think both plates up would be ok. If it was me though, I'd just have the L plates. I don't think any Garda is going to give you, the N driver, grief for driving with L plates, they serve the same purpose really, to alert other drivers that you may be inexperienced. Common sense would prevail if you were stopped, I would hope.

Samuel T. Cogley

Husband needs to take the N plate down (technically), you're okay with both up as there is no requirement NOT to have a plate up when you've passed.

darash

Can you not have both up? I had both up for the past 10 months until my son passed his test yesterday. Lots of cars have N & L signs.

Fann Linn

darash wrote: »

Can you not have both up? I had both up for the past 10 months until my son passed his test yesterday. Lots of cars have N & L signs.

Yes. See this regularly.

Lily_Aldrin7

Fann Linn wrote: »

Yes. See this regularly.

I’ve seen it too but I saw on the RSA website saying No L&N plates on the same car.
I think I’ll just keep the L plate for now and I might try to call the Garda Station to see if they could give me some information

languagenerd

No, you're not meant to have both (but lots of people do.) I just stick my Ns up to the inside of the window with bluetack and it works fairly well. If you're changing/removing them a lot, keep spares in the car - it's v easy to misplace them...

punisher5112

Get a a4 see through pouch and cut to size.
Stick to inside of windows if magnet type are hard to get and place N & L plate inside and swap when needed.

It's ridiculous having both displayed and to be honest if both are on the window at the same time they are a safety risk for vision.

Henry Ford III

Magnetic plates L and N plates are the answer. Takes a couple of seconds to put the correct ones on show.

I think having both displayed can't be right. You're either a learner or a novice but can't be both at the same time. Having an L plate up can get you pulled on the motorway for example.

The display of L or N plates is to alert other road users of your relative inexperience as a driver, and displaying the wrong one through laziness frankly isn't sending out the right message.

Alanstrainor

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Magnetic plates L and N plates are the answer. Takes a couple of seconds to put the correct ones on show.

I think having both displayed can't be right. You're either a learner or a novice but can't be both at the same time. Having an L plate up can get you pulled on the motorway for example.

The display of L or N plates is to alert other road users of your relative inexperience as a driver, and displaying the wrong one through laziness frankly isn't sending out the right message.

Yep I would agree. It ends up being confusing for all. A gard might pull over the N driver thinking they are an unaccompanied learner. Magnetic plates is the answer (just make sure the paint is clean before applying!)

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

Speaking of L plates, I had to borrow my GF's car this morning, she's a learner. On the Dual Carriageway, doing the same speed as I would in my own car (and I don't hang around), there were people straight up my backside in the overtaking lane and staring in at me as they passed when I had space to move back in from the overtaking lane. The temerity of me to be even on the road!

Amazing what the sight of an L plate does to people's driving behaviour.

Lily_Aldrin7

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Magnetic plates L and N plates are the answer. Takes a couple of seconds to put the correct ones on show.

I think having both displayed can't be right. You're either a learner or a novice but can't be both at the same time. Having an L plate up can get you pulled on the motorway for example.

The display of L or N plates is to alert other road users of your relative inexperience as a driver, and displaying the wrong one through laziness frankly isn't sending out the right message.

Do you know where I can get these? I don’t think I’ve seen them in the gas stations or shops. Sounds like the best option

marketty

Lily_Aldrin7 wrote:

Do you know where I can get these? I don’t think I’ve seen them in the gas stations or shops. Sounds like the best option

Just steal them off a car on the street. Because this is what will happen to you with magnetic plates.

Wheety

marketty wrote: »

Just steal them off a car on the street. Because this is what will happen to you with magnetic plates.

You need to throw them inside the car when not using them or they'll be snatched.

Also make sure the on on the front is flat with not gaps on the bonnet as I remember on a windy day and driving around 60km/hr, my L plate flying up and over my car. Obviously couldn't stop and go back.

Samuel T. Cogley

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater wrote: »

Speaking of L plates, I had to borrow my GF's car this morning, she's a learner. On the Dual Carriageway, doing the same speed as I would in my own car (and I don't hang around), there were people straight up my backside in the overtaking lane and staring in at me as they passed when I had space to move back in from the overtaking lane. The temerity of me to be even on the road!

Amazing what the sight of an L plate does to people's driving behaviour.

Or a small car. I regularly (sans wife) do 140 and it's amazing the people that will sail past realise they're doing 150+ and slow down only to be passed out by me, a fat man in a fiat 500, again.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

thesimpsons

Had magnetic plates stolen off the car by gurriers when we were stopped at traffic lights.

TheRiverman

Surely there is an official RSA policy on this.

hognef

TheRiverman wrote: »

Surely there is an official RSA policy on this.

In the absence of common sense, clearly this is very much needed...

Henry Ford III

thesimpsons wrote: »

Had magnetic plates stolen off the car by gurriers when we were stopped at traffic lights.

They should be on the inside of the car.

Henry Ford III

Lily_Aldrin7 wrote: »

Do you know where I can get these? I don’t think I’ve seen them in the gas stations or shops. Sounds like the best option

Halfords or similar

BeardySi

Henry Ford III wrote: »

They should be on the inside of the car.

Curious as to where on you're magnetically attaching plates on the inside so they can be seen from the outside...

Dravokivich

To be honest, all they could possibly do is annoy other drivers. If they get annoyed by a few stickers in the window, they should cop themselves on really. It's no bother to me at all.

Alun

Dravokivich wrote: »

To be honest, all they could possibly do is annoy other drivers. If they get annoyed by a few stickers in the window, they should cop themselves on really. It's no bother to me at all.

Grand so, do away with them altogether since they obviously have no purpose whatsoever. May as well do away with driving licences too since so many people consider them to be optional.

Dravokivich

Alun wrote: »

Grand so, do away with them altogether since they obviously have no purpose whatsoever. May as well do away with driving licences too since so many people consider them to be optional.

I never said any of that. I don't see why I would react negatively to those stickers. It's no bother to me who has them up.

Why is it a problem for you?

Lily_Aldrin7

I found magnetic L plates In Tesco, I haven’t found magnetic Ns yet, the joy of living in a small town 😀

Henry Ford III

BeardySi wrote: »

Curious as to where on you're magnetically attaching plates on the inside so they can be seen from the outside...

http://www.halfords.ie/motoring/travel-accessories/learning-to-drive/halfords-magnetic-l-plate-fixings

It's not at all diffficult. Changing from an L to an N plate takes seconds too.