Driving alone on a learners permit.

**Timbuk2** · 06-07-2010 08:17PM

Cian92 wrote: »

Now I'm lucky in that both my parents can sit along side me. I don't see the logic in it. I drive better unaccompanied, with my parents next to me I generally end up speeding and being told to do X, Y and Z (but not to do it in the test of course).

This I can totally empathise with! My mother was/is the worst for it. "Oh park there, I'll only be a minute" on a double yellow line. When the light went 'full green' and I advanced a few metres, waiting for a gap to turn right, she told me that I had to wait back at the line! She also told me that the left lane on a roundabout is only for going left!

She knows now though! She is extremely good at parking so it all balances out (years and years of driving in the middle of towns).

I always preferred driving with my Dad as he was quite knowledgable about everything, although he could never understand (no matter how much I told him otherwise) how anybody could stop without working down through the gears!

WillyWonkaBar · 06-07-2010 08:58PM

I passed my test! ...

... Ages ago

Max Power1 · 06-07-2010 10:25PM

DrivingMad wrote: »

Sorry if my opinion doesnt tie in with yours...... thought I was allowed to express my self like others with out having the p*** taken out of me. I shall have to check my posts with you first to see if its ok to submit?? Was there any valid point to your reply apart from your sarcasm?

Yes.

On a serious note though - all that high horse posting crap pisses me off no end. Yes I know im not supposed to drive unnacompanied. So did the numerous gardai at the checkpoints where I was waved through. As mentioned - one checkpoint I had no tax and no accompanied driver and no L plates andI was still waved on. Ive driven on motorways twice a month at the very minimum for the last 6 months also.
To top it all, were I to be involved in an accident, guess what, I would be covered by my insurance! (ive checked)

As I said, when there is a serious clampdown and no more leniency shown at all by the gardai, then people will stop driving unacompanied. Until that happens many many more than just me will do it (whether they care to admit to it on a public forum is another thing.)

Robxxx7 · 07-07-2010 08:20AM

Cian92 wrote: »

Of course you need an instructor, to teach you and give you tips. However one need to practice, and to practice they need somebody sitting next to them by law, at the beginning it's necessary. After this though, they really aren't needed.

Now I'm lucky in that both my parents can sit along side me. I don't see the logic in it. I drive better unaccompanied, with my parents next to me I generally end up speeding and being told to do X, Y and Z (but not to do it in the test of course). Now when driving alone I do everything by the book, as I am more cautious.

One great thing about having my parents with me is that they tell me where to watch out for speed traps, and scour ahead to see if Gardai are present, so I slow down. That is one advantage of being accompanied.

This is the reason why you have an instructor ... you take on board what the instructor has taught you and when you are practicing you follow their advice. Having someone with a licence in the car is so that you can practice within the eyes of the law. Your Parents are not driving instructors (i assume) and as such cannot be guaranteed to give you the correct advice on how to drive ...

but i'm just starting to think that you are just a WUM.

The whole system stinks ... from the insurance companies covering law breaking unlicensed drivers to the Gardai who just sit on their thumbs and do sod all about it.... right i'm off to do some shoplifting

erwinvr101 · 07-07-2010 10:40AM

Robxxx7 wrote: »

This is the reason why you have an instructor ... you take on board what the instructor has taught you and when you are practicing you follow their advice. Having someone with a licence in the car is so that you can practice within the eyes of the law. Your Parents are not driving instructors (i assume) and as such cannot be guaranteed to give you the correct advice on how to drive ...

but i'm just starting to think that you are just a WUM.

The whole system stinks ... from the insurance companies covering law breaking unlicensed drivers to the Gardai who just sit on their thumbs and do sod all about it.... right i'm off to do some shoplifting

why is he a WUM? he's stated valid points about what's happening in real life, he is not the only one in this kind of situation. the reason why someone has to have a full licensed driver with them when they practice is that they can take advice from them and learn from them the correct way. after all they got their license by passing the test, right? so, they can't really give misleading instructions to him

WillyWonkaBar · 07-07-2010 12:17PM

erwinvr101 wrote: »

why is he a WUM? he's stated valid points about what's happening in real life, he is not the only one in this kind of situation. the reason why someone has to have a full licensed driver with them when they practice is that they can take advice from them and learn from them the correct way. after all they got their license by passing the test, right? so, they can't really give misleading instructions to him

Then why is there any driving instructors if parents know it all anyway?

eejit.

Alanstrainor · 07-07-2010 03:30PM

WillyWonkaBar wrote: »

Then why is there any driving instructors if parents know it all anyway?

eejit.

Warning given for personal abuse.

erwinvr101 · 07-07-2010 07:41PM

WillyWonkaBar wrote: »

Then why is there any driving instructors if parents know it all anyway?

eejit.

hey genius! not everybody has their parents or friends to teach them. and yes, parents or anybody who's accompanying a learner driver should be able to give advice which is in accordance to the rules of the road. otherwise, it will be confusing to learners and hampering their progress to learn

RubyXI · 08-07-2010 08:00AM

Basically, I have to practice to get a licence but I have to get a licence to practice. It's sounding more impossible by the minute.

bugler · 08-07-2010 01:42PM

I think this thread has been going in circular motions for a while now.

Should learners drive alone? No.
Do some of them? Yes.
Do some of them have good reason? Yes.
Does that make it legal? No.

FWIW, I'm about to start driving. I don't have a fully licensed driver close to me right now, so if I want to practice I have to pay an instructor for it or rely on family or friends donating their time and patience for it. I'll be making use of both initially.

I couldn't afford to drive only with an instructor for 6 months, and I doubt many could. If you don't have a helpful fully licensed driver around then you're screwed.

I expect I will break the law and drive without a fully licensed driver at some point in the future. I also expect my chances of being caught and punished are low (there will usually be someone in the car with me, a non-driver but who'll know?)

I will make every effort to learn quickly, will sit my exam promptly and hopefully will pass first time.

Basically, I have to practice to get a licence but I have to get a licence to practice. It's sounding more impossible by the minute.

It's not easy. It's very easy for people who get excited about learners on the road to ignore the difficulties some of those learners face. But the law is the law and it's inflexible.

I'm thinking the state should in some way promote proper driving from a young age by including it on the school curriculum in some way. If we ensured ease of access to lessons some problems down the line might be worked out.

HavingCrack · 14-07-2010 12:14AM

To be honest the whole driving licence system needs to be overhauled-its aj oke like, when was the last time you ever reversed around a corner??

A regards the LP issue I reckon we should follow the Australian model of a graduated appraoach to getting a licence-I thin ktheres 5 or 6 stages from beginning to end before you're a 'full driver'.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver%27s_licence_in_Australia

cosmic · 14-07-2010 04:52PM

HavingCrack wrote: »

when was the last time you ever reversed around a corner??

Reversing into a car parking space/driveway is essentially reversing around a corner. So I reverse around a corner pretty much every day.

Name Changed · 28-08-2010 02:42PM

I know of a man who was prosecuted for no licence because he was driving alone on a learners permit. That is a serious offence and much worse than simply being prosecuted for having no qualified driver with you or even having no l-plates. Personally, I wouldn't risk it if I still had a provisional/learners permit.

mikemac · 28-08-2010 02:47PM

HavingCrack wrote: »

To be honest the whole driving licence system needs to be overhauled-its aj oke like, when was the last time you ever reversed around a corner??

I've seen this posted quite a few times.

What do you do in a crowded shopping center or multi story car park if you want to reverse into the space?

amy-marie · 29-08-2010 05:12PM

I got caught a few weeks ago outside Bradys, a guard had noticed one of my tyres was a bit worn (although a mechanic told me it was just over the limit) and he asked me if I was a learner, when I said yeah he just nodded and pointed out the tyre. I was absolutely bricking it but he just told me to get it checked asap and that was it.

It put the fear of God into me though and I ended up applying for my test last week.

**Timbuk2** · 30-08-2010 12:21AM

A girl on my street was driving alone on an LP and got pulled over by the gardaí for 'driving too close to the kerb' - of course the guards did nothing about it, just a warning. It's this non-action of the gardaí that makes people think it's ok to drive alone on an LP.

If you are good enough to drive alone, then you should be good enough to pass the test - apply for a cancellation ASAP.

HavingCrack · 30-08-2010 11:41AM

feelingstressed wrote: »

I've seen this posted quite a few times.

What do you do in a crowded shopping center or multi story car park if you want to reverse into the space?

Never reversed into a space in my life :eek:. Always drive into them

12 element · 30-08-2010 11:47AM

HavingCrack wrote: »

Never reversed into a space in my life :eek:. Always drive into them

How do you get out?

**Timbuk2** · 30-08-2010 03:04PM

Reversing into a parking space is a much safer way of parking. I do it all the time, unless grocery shopping as then I need to put the trolley beside the boot! It gives you greater visibility as well on the way out, for kids and the like that run along cars. It has also been proved that you use less fuel this way (as the engine uses more fuel when it is cold when you turn it on, and it is quicker to go forward out of a parking space) but being honest the difference would be minimal - the safety and observation aspect is more important.

On very large/long cars, it is actually easier to reverse into a space than drive into a space as it can be difficult to judge the front of the car sometimes, as you aren't always able to see the front part of it.

HavingCrack · 30-08-2010 06:28PM

12 element wrote: »

How do you get out?

Well I reverse out but stop trying to catch me out

Driving alone on a learners permit.

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