From today (22 Dec), unaccompanied learner drivers can have their cars taken off them

R.O.R

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1221/1018580-learner-drivers/

Few different news reports, but new laws came in to place this morning allowing the Gardai to impound cars where the driver doesn't hold a full licence and isn't accompanied by a relevant qualified driver.

Also allows for fines against the owner of the vehicle if they allow an unaccompanied learner to drive the car.

Not before time and I hope its something that the Gardai actually enforce.

V8 Interceptor

Fair enough. It had to happen.

But I hope there's not too much happy clapping given that I presume a large amount of people posting here did just that back in the day.

BENDYBINN

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

Fair enough. It had to happen.

But I hope there's not too much happy clapping given that I presume a large amount of people posting here did just that back in the day.

Agree,such hypocrites on here.
I’m after gettin my license last week.....no unaccompanied learner drivers should be allowed on the road from now on.Discrace!

highdef

BENDYBINN wrote: »

Agree,such hypocrites on here.
I’m after gettin my license last week.....no unaccompanied learner drivers should be allowed on the road from now on.Discrace!

I for one never drove on my own without a qualified driver when on my provisional licence and that was 18 years ago. Only had my provisional licence for about twelve weeks as I applied for the test early on. Passed that and have been fully licensed since.

There's no excuse for those people who are provisionally licensed for years. If someone continues to fail their divers test time after time over a matter of years, then it should be a case that the person is simply unable to grasp the ability to drive properly. It's those people that are on provisional licences for those extended period of time that will hopefully get the full impact of the new laws applied to them.

The less unqualified divers on the road, the better.

Ninthlife

I hope they test all those people who got a full license just by applying years ago and never had a single lesson or test in their life

OldMrBrennan83

They never enforced it back in the day which was happy days, but hopefully they do now though. Younger people are different now anyway and need to be policed harder.

Though, as with a lot of these things, upping all these punishments seems strange when all they ever needed to do was enforce the laws that already existed in the first place. They're just trying to deter people with a harsher penalty to save having to bother enforcing it all over again.

jmreire

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

Fair enough. It had to happen.

But I hope there's not too much happy clapping given that I presume a large amount of people posting here did just that back in the day.

Of course...there was no other way.....bought your provisional licence,you took some lessons, ( in most cases from a friend ) and off you go, Back in those day's it has to be said that the road's were not carrying as much traffic as they are nowadays, but that day has now gone.It seems that retired people wil be given a new lease of life...and brought back into action accompanying provisional licence holders until they pass the test. And they will have to increase the Nr of tester,,,,,and shorten the waiting lists.

jmreire

BENDYBINN wrote: »

Agree,such hypocrites on here.
I’m after gettin my license last week.....no unaccompanied learner drivers should be allowed on the road from now on.Discrace!

Exactly !!!!

The Bishop Basher

I wasn’t let !!

It spurred me on to get my full license so I got a letter of urgency and somehow jammied my way through the test shortly after turning 17.

I drove like an arsehole for a few years after that though.. Had more then a few lucky escapes.. looking back I was nowhere near mature enough to be driving on my own.

jmreire

R.O.R wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/2018/1221/1018580-learner-drivers/

Few different news reports, but new laws came in to place this morning allowing the Gardai to impound cars where the driver doesn't hold a full licence and isn't accompanied by a relevant qualified driver.

Also allows for fines against the owner of the vehicle if they allow an unaccompanied learner to drive the car.

Not before time and I hope its something that the Gardai actually enforce.

In our local secondary school, on the perimeter of the sports field, they have a driver training track, pupils are able to prepare for the test, and can apply for a test as soon as they are old enough.This would be the ideal way to go....and not when you have just started your 1st job, and need a car to get to work, which now means getting a qualified driver to sit beside you...and not everyone has a family member or friend who can do this. Means that some one will have to be paid....

uck51js9zml2yt

Didn't come soon enough....well it did...20 years after I got my licence having driven for a year to get experience.

Let's just hope it's enforced

DaveyDave

This probably won't make a huge difference in reality. Those that will be caught will probably be the ones we see in the Twitter thread who are seen speeding or on the phone then later found to have no insurance, license, unaccompanied etc.

highdef

Keira Zealous Symphony wrote: »

Didn't come soon enough....well it did...20 years after I got my licence having driven for a year to get experience.

Let's just hope it's enforced

Woohoo, someone who can spell "licence" correctly, when referring to it as a noun 😊

iamwhoiam

I did my driver learning in Germany. Absolutely no one is allowed drive alone until the test is passed
First a theory test in a licenced driving school then at least 10 ( not quite sure on number ) lesson in dual controlled driving school car . Then the teacher can recommend you do the test when he feels you are ready . That could be more than 10 or even up to 20 .
Lessons are regulated with a certain amount in the dark , on motorway , in rush hour traffic etc
So it should be here to in my opinion

jmreire

DaveyDave wrote: »

This probably won't make a huge difference in reality. Those that will be caught will probably be the ones we see in the Twitter thread who are seen speeding or on the phone then later found to have no insurance, license, unaccompanied etc.

Yes thats true Davey....no amount of law or regulation wil change these people, But for the rest of the civilised world,if the provisional driver owns the car, and it is confiscaed, thats his/her problem, but if it's owned by some one else...that's a different kettle of fish, and for sure, that will make people think twice, loss of car, legal penalties,,,,etc.!

Esel

Ninthlife wrote: »

I hope they test all those people who got a full license just by applying years ago and never had a single lesson or test in their life

That last happened in the seventies, so 40 or so years ago. Get over it!

mikeecho

Esel wrote: »

That last happened in the seventies, so 40 or so years ago. Get over it!

Correct, it was an amnesty in 1979.

Only those that had applied for a driving test, were automatically given a full licence. , due to the insane waiting times.

Anyone who hadn't applied.. it was tough luck.

It was announced overnight, and only applied to those already on the waiting list who were on a second or subsequent provisional licence, not anyone on a first provisional.

So not everyone got a free licence.
It's time to move on.

salmocab

I drove for a year or so on my provisional 20 years ago and happy this is coming in, looking back I certainly shouldn’t have been allowed drive as I wasn’t ready for it.
Driving needs to be seen as a privelege not a right.

Ninthlife

Esel wrote: »

That last happened in the seventies, so 40 or so years ago. Get over it!

No.

People are very quick to vilify learner drivers and blame them for all ths ills on the road when we have an awful lot of drivers who have never once read the rules of the road or had an official lesson yet have a full license

They are just as much a liability as learner drivers

I agree with the new legislation btw, just feel younger newer drivers have it alot harder than others and people seem to revel in it

jmreire

Esel wrote: »

That last happened in the seventies, so 40 or so years ago. Get over it!

March 16th, 1964 was the last day you could "Buy" a licence, after that it involved a driving test. I knew an elderly lady neighbour, who got a Licence just before the test became law.....technically and legally, as it was a full licence, she could drive anything from a mini to an Artic, or a 57 seat coach !! To this day, I dont believe she ever sat behind a wheel.....:)

V8 Interceptor

V8 Interceptor wrote: »

But I hope there's not too much happy clapping given that I presume a large amount of people posting here did just that back in the day.

Exactly, I only had an accompanied driver when on a provisional if the person with the full license happened to be going with me anyway, in fact my parents very much believed in letting us drive alone and encouraged it as they felt it’s only whe driving alone that you really get get comfortable with driving etc. I’d be inclined to agree with them and myself and my sibling all passed first time easily. We could all drive long before getting licences too.

OldMrBrennan83

Ninthlife wrote: »

No.

People are very quick to vilify learner drivers and blame them for all ths ills on the road when we have an awful lot of drivers who have never once read the rules of the road or had an official lesson yet have a full license

They are just as much a liability as learner drivers

No, most drivers you'd see causing issues would fall into the under 60 bracket. You're not going to get the licences taken off them anyway so you may get on with it.

spurious

Unfortunately, we know like lots of other things it won't be enforced.

Red light runners, cretins texting or on hand held phones while driving - all a bit more urgent to deal with i would have thought.

edit** Middle lane hoggers too.

OldMrBrennan83

Was it every true that you could drive on the second provisional on your own or was that another like the "two weeks grace" car tax thing?

Charles Babbage

Have they introduced a fine for displaying a L plate when you are not a learner? This is a necessity as it would then make it easier to target such vehicles with one driver. They should also use the ANPR readers to identify vehicles insured for L drivers and especially those owned by L drivers

OldMrBrennan83

spurious wrote: »

Unfortunately, we know like lots of other things it won't be enforced.

Red light runners, cretins texting or on hand held phones while driving - all a bit more urgent to deal with i would have thought.

edit** Middle lane hoggers too.

They'll never hit the lane hoggers but at least they're hitting the speeding harder now and hopefully phone users will follow. All this needs to be enforced properly though.

mikeecho

Ninthlife wrote: »

No.

People are very quick to vilify learner drivers and blame them for all ths ills on the road when we have an awful lot of drivers who have never once read the rules of the road or had an official lesson yet have a full license

They are just as much a liability as learner drivers

I agree with the new legislation btw, just feel younger newer drivers have it alot harder than others and people seem to revel in it

The driving test was introduced in 1964, before that you just paid for it.
So in 1964, you'd have to have been 17/18 to get a, licence for Just a fee, so that would make you 72 now.

Prior to 1964 not everone would have had access to cars, so wouldn't have had the need to even apply for a licence.

I don't believe that there is a large amount if drivers out there that have never sat a test.

Ninthlife

Patww79 wrote: »

No, most drivers you'd see causing issues would fall into the under 60 bracket. You're not going to get the licences taken off them anyway so you may get on with it.

Im not looking to have licenses revoked.

Its extremely difficult for a young or maybe not so young person to drive. 12 module lessons , be accompanied everytime they drive then pass the test and for the first 2 years be accompanied also.

Ninthlife

mikeecho wrote: »

The driving test was introduced in 1964, before that you just paid for it.
So in 1964, you'd have to have been 17/18 to get a, licence for Just a fee, so that would make you 72 now.

Prior to 1964 not everone would have had access to cars, so wouldn't have had the need to even apply for a licence.

I don't believe that there is a large amount if drivers out there that have never sat a test.

I feel old now when its broken down like that

OldMrBrennan83

Ninthlife wrote: »

Im not looking to have licenses revoked.

Its extremely difficult for a young or maybe not so young person to drive. 12 module lessons , be accompanied everytime they drive then pass the test and for the first 2 years be accompanied also.

Still better than letting them loose on the road alone with no lessons though.

That said it's not really fair and just another example of something not being done right in this country, but instead of fixing it it's just used to make money off.



_

mikeym

I know plenty of L plate drivers who drive around unaccompanied.

Ive seen a few on the motorways aswell even though they are not allowed.

And ive seen people in yellow reg cars with L plates around Co.Cork.

iamwhoiam

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/bereaved-family-unfair-on-driver-reform-rural-tds-critical-of-appalling-new-laws-893691.html


And Matty Mc Grath and Healy Rae should be ashamed of themselves

salmocab

Ninthlife wrote: »

Im not looking to have licenses revoked.

Its extremely difficult for a young or maybe not so young person to drive. 12 module lessons , be accompanied everytime they drive then pass the test and for the first 2 years be accompanied also.

Once you pass your test you don’t need to drive with someone for two years

Ninthlife

salmocab wrote: »

Once you pass your test you don’t need to drive with someone for two years

I thought when the N plate was introduced it required accompanied for a period after being successful.

Maybee that was proposed legislation before it was passed

drunkmonkey

Ross should be ashamed of himself, every single thing he's done is a kick in the stones to people living outside public transport areas.
Completely out of touch with rural Ireland. How the hell are people who start work after school meant to get to work. Mammy and Daddy drive them for 3yrs. Absolutely nuts legislation.
Drop the licence age to 15 so at least they can become independent at 18.

salmocab

Ninthlife wrote: »

I thought when the N plate was introduced it required accompanied for a period after being successful.

Maybee that was proposed legislation before it was passed

No it doesn’t mean that at all, you get harsher penalty points when your a novice that’s about it.

Ninthlife

salmocab wrote: »

No it doesn’t mean that at all, you get harsher penalty points when your a novice that’s about it.

Everyday is a schoolday.

Esel

Ninthlife wrote: »

I thought when the N plate was introduced it required accompanied for a period after being successful.

Maybee that was proposed legislation before it was passed

You are not very well informed tbh.

Esel

mikeecho wrote: »

The driving test was introduced in 1964, before that you just paid for it.
So in 1964, you'd have to have been 17/18 to get a, licence for Just a fee, so that would make you 72 now.

Prior to 1964 not everone would have had access to cars, so wouldn't have had the need to even apply for a licence.

I don't believe that there is a large amount if drivers out there that have never sat a test.

You are forgetting the 1979 event, although the people on the waiting list then only got the licence for the class in which they had applied for in the test.

Anybody know how many licences were issued then?

tipptom

Idiot minister should concern himself with doing something useful like getting his department more efficient first so learners can get their test when they are ready before he starts persecuting learner drivers trying to get to work or college.

Hard enough for them on ****e wages,disgracful roads,rip off road tax,paying 3,500 insurance just as a named driver or 5k for themselves,being made to apply for ps card just to do the theory and then having to avoid a lot of idiots out there driving with a full license who if they are unlucky enough to have one of them run in to them the provisional driver will be cited in statistics to demonise them even more.

salmocab

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Ross should be ashamed of himself, every single thing he's done is a kick in the stones to people living outside public transport areas.
Completely out of touch with rural Ireland. How the hell are people who start work after school meant to get to work. Mammy and Daddy drive them for 3yrs. Absolutely nuts legislation.
Drop the licence age to 15 so at least they can become independent at 18.

Your right about Ross but wrong about rural Ireland somebody who hasn’t passed a test shouldn’t be allowed drive alone. Their personal circumstances are irrelevant. You can get a license aged 17 so should be able to pass by 18 which is school leaving age. If you fail your test then you have shown your not able to drive correctly.

mikeecho

Esel wrote: »

You are forgetting the 1979 event, although the people on the waiting list then only got the licence for the class in which they had applied for in the test.

Anybody know how many licences were issued then?

I refered to 1979 in an earlier post,
Only people on the waiting list with a second or subsequent provisional licence were eligible.

looksee

My late husband was one of the people who got a licence just by asking for it. He drove accident free for some 50 years until he voluntarily gave it up for health reasons. I took lessons in the UK, did a very thorough test in an African country then had to do another one when I got to Ireland in 1973. Also accident free since getting my Irish licence.

Driving then was completely different from driving on modern roads. Very little traffic, minimal road markings, relatively limited speed and road surfaces that were not conducive to fast driving. Car control and experience was gained without significant pressure. Cars were less powerful, less reliable, less safe and less complicated - and until the Great Trade In, mostly held together with baling twine. It was a time when you could just about get away with the system as it was.

Now, everything has moved on, different times, different circumstances. I do think that driving lessons need to be more accessible and facilities such as driving areas more available. I also think that older people need to be able to demonstrate driving ability after about 70 - and that includes me. And anyone found guilty of a motoring offence should have to take (and pay for) a refresher driving test.

pablo128

Ninthlife wrote: »

I hope they test all those people who got a full license just by applying years ago and never had a single lesson or test in their life

Ah here that was 40 years ago. Let it go.

recyclebin

I'm not sure why the car owner should be punished too. Its very easy to take the parents car without permission! They should punish the learner driver.

bladebrew

Patww79 wrote: »

Was it every true that you could drive on the second provisional on your own or was that another like the "two weeks grace" car tax thing?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.irishexaminer.com/ireland/drivers-expected-to-comply-with-legislation-66326.html

Definitely was true, I ticked the box for B provisional while I had a moped, then 2 years later when I bought a car I could drive unaccompanied but legally because I was onto a 2nd provisional!
They even refer to it in the article as a loophole that was closed, I passed my test just before it was stopped!

Ninthlife

pablo128 wrote: »

Ah here that was 40 years ago. Let it go.

Its ok, Im over it now

Damien360

Esel wrote: »

You are forgetting the 1979 event, although the people on the waiting list then only got the licence for the class in which they had applied for in the test.

Anybody know how many licences were issued then?

My father in law applied for every single license available on that day. He got all of them. Drove trucks for a while although I'm not sure it ever included artic's. They were very large horse boxes, bin trucks, dumper trucks, school buses. He is not a good driver at all. Now in his 70's, if we have to go somewhere together, I drive, be it my car or his.

pablo128

recyclebin wrote: »

I'm not sure why the car owner should be punished too. Its very easy to take the parents car without permission! They should punish the learner driver.

If the driver took the car without the permission of the owner, they will get prosecuted for that too. Essentially they will be done for stealing the car.

In that case the owner doesn't get prosecuted. However it puts parents in the uncomfortable position of having their children done for stealing the family car or getting done themselves.

StereoSound

It says car owners who allow learner drivers to use their car face fines, imprisonment or car seizes. What about learner drivers who own their own car? Whats their punishment ?

Charles Babbage

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Ross should be ashamed of himself, every single thing he's done is a kick in the stones to people living outside public transport areas.
.

bollix, these are the people most likely to be killed by these louts