Changes to the Driver Licencing System

[Dub13]

The RSA has today published the new rules for the introduction of the new 'Learner Permit' for learner drivers, to replace the existing provisional license currently used. This can be downloaded as a 'Word' file from the RSA website on the publications page.Link (http://www.rsa.ie/)

On a first reading, existing provisionals will stand until they expire, but after the 30th. October 2007, new and replacement 'provisionals will now be the 'Learner Permit. Changes include NO driving alone by any learner, must always be accompanied, and accompanying driver must have a full license for at least two years. This accompanied rule applies to all learners from October 30th. 2007. One other point i notice is that learners will not be allowed take a test in less than 6 months from obtaining the new permit

[REDHEART]

The RSA has today published the new rules for the introduction of the new 'Learner Permit' for learner drivers, to replace the existing provisional license currently used. This can be downloaded as a 'Word' file from the RSA website on the publications page.Link (http://www.rsa.ie/)

On a first reading, existing provisionals will stand until they expire, but after the 30th. October 2007, new and replacement 'provisionals will now be the 'Learner Permit. Changes include NO driving alone by any learner, must always be accompanied, and accompanying driver must have a full license for at least two years. This accompanied rule applies to all learners from October 30th. 2007. One other point i notice is that learners will not be allowed take a test in less than 6 months from obtaining the new permit

this could be 1 big pain in the hole for ppl.i've only just started to drive myself.took 5 lessons and drove my own car for the first time yesterday.sure how could i drive in them circumstances.only full licence driver i go drive with is my da.sure we both work mad hours have different days off and stuff.hardly any point in having a car then.

suppose i have time to get my full,so no point worrying yet.

[Dub13]

This could be something else to worry about....

Learner drivers' cars to have speed restricted

Technology will be installed in every car used by a leaner driver that will cap its power, under plans unveiled today.

Road safety chiefs want to limit the acceleration or capacity of engines being used by inexperienced motorists as part of a crackdown on road deaths.

Noel Brett, chief executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA), said that once the right device or technology is found new laws will be brought in to make it mandatory.

“We are searching to find the most appropriate way of limiting the power of a car – that already happens for motorcycles,” he said.

The road safety chief said bringing in restrictions on car engine size for learner drivers alone was too simplistic.

“That wouldn’t work and that would have all sorts of issues for our community,” he insisted, at the launch of the Government’s five-year road safety strategy.
“What we have to find is the mechanism to limit vehicles, mechanically or otherwise, that keeps people as safe as possible without denying them access to [safety] features that are on bigger cars.”

Mr Brett said research is already under way to find the most appropriate way of stopping inexperienced drivers getting behind the wheel of powerful cars.

The technology is also likely to limit anyone else using the same car.

“We will find the most appropriate technology, whether it is engine limiters, engine governors, speed restricters or some other technology to make sure that young and inexperienced drivers don’t have access to the most dangerous vehicles,” he said.

“Learners will be able to drive the family car but the car will have to be restricted.

“Once we have concluded the engineering research to get the best way of doing that we will introduce it by legislation.”

Motorcycles used by learners already have to meet power-to-weight ratios while the speed on large trucks and buses is also capped.

[REDHEART]

This could be something else to worry about....

don't mind that so much

[ianmahony1977]

It's about time they brought in some new restrictions on provisional licence holders. it's crazy to think you can fail a test and then drive yourself home but if people know they can get away with it they'll do it (I've done it myself). The fact that you can take out car insurance without even having taken one driving lesson is ludricous.

[paddyb]

i think its about time this was done. you can just keep failing your test and keep driving, that does not make sense.
it will be hard to detect though because most of these people probably dont have L plates on their cars

[stephenocall]

Woke up this morning to say the latest proposals for learner drivers on provisional licences!
iv had my provisional for over a year and im currently waiting for my test!
these new rules are absolute bull!!
how do they expect people to go to work,collect their kids from school etc!!
they cant announce the changes on a thursday and bring them into effect on a tuesday!!

i agree in theory with the rule that you shouldnt be allowed drive if you fail your test etc but they cant just announce it a couple of days before it comes into effect!

they should have cleared the back log first!

anyone else got any views?

[stephenocall]

i agree in theory that if you fail your test you shouldnt be left drive but they cant just announce the new rules on a thursday and bring them into effect on a tuesday!
they should hav cleared the backlog first!!!

[stevieg]

Just find it hard to understand how young 17/18yo's are going to get any driving experience or better at it,if they can only use the car when someone who has had a full licence for two years is in the car with them.

So basically they have to go everywhere, with their Mum/Dad or maybe brother or sister,if they want to use the car(which will be pretty hard - making sure someone is free to go with you)
Their own friends wont have a 2 year full licence because they will be the same age as them.

But to see the pay rise they give themselves makes me sick!

[paddyb]

Just find it hard to understand how young 17/18yo's are going to get any driving experience or better at it,if they can only use the car when someone who has had a full licence for two years is in the car with them.

So basically they have to go everywhere, with their Mum/Dad

driving instructor, especially if they are 17

[Dub13]

So basically they have to go everywhere, with their Mum/Dad or maybe brother or sister,if they want to use the car(which will be pretty hard - making sure someone is free to go with you)
Their own friends wont have a 2 year full licence because they will be the same age as them.


Well I am all for it if it makes the roads safer,technically they should have been driving accompanied as it is but now it will be enforced.

[paddyb]

exactly, anything that makes the roads safer. just read in the online version of the indo that their insurance will be inavlidated if they drive alone.
dunno how they will detect the drivers as most of them probably wont have L plates

[Dub13]

I think its also now an offense to not display L plates,I think it always was but then again it will now be enforced.

A fact some people are not aware is if you are a full licensed driver it is an offense to drive with L plates....I was driving my car while Mrs Dub13 was still a learner a few years ago and was told this at a checkpoint.I was a lazy git and would just never take them down.

[stevieg]

driving instructor, especially if they are 17

Well all if not most 17/18 yo's i know got around 6-10 lessons at around 25-30 quid a pop.

But how are they supposed to get experience after these lessons ?

Pay for 100 lessons ?

[Dub13]

Well all if not most 17/18 yo's i know got around 6-10 lessons at around 25-30 quid a pop.

But how are they supposed to get experience after these lessons ?

Pay for 100 lessons ?


Its my understanding and this comes right from the top as I was at a gig the other night and Noel Brett chief executive of the Road Safety Authority was speaking.The plan is in the future you will have to get 20/30 hours of lessons from an accredited driving school before you even get a learner permit.

Apparently they are going to trial this very soon on Motorbikes ans the numbers are a lot smaller,then they will roll it out across all areas.

Times are changing and it looks like they are going for broke on the road safety.

[stevieg]

Im all for making roads safer,but the majority of non -single vehicle accidents i read about concern a truck or lorry.

Quite often the truck/lorry driver escpaes unhurt yet it is the person in the car who dies.

Some truck/lorry drivers have no respect for anybody else on the the roads as they are in a bigger vehicle(and will always be alright after a crash) than most others, so go speeding all over the country trying to make deadline deliveries etc.

The last report i read had the most accidents per population in counties like Longford,Cavan and Roscommon - no disrespect to people from there but its the back arse of nowhere, where the roads are crap and drink driving is the norm as there is not exactly plenty of Gardai around doing checks sure the Gardai drink with the locals and take a lift home off them on their tractor.

Something like around 70% of all death are on rural roads(which includes motorways too) - which as everybody knows the rural country roads in Ireland have hardly enough room for two vehicles while motorways you need them and i think our motorways are getting better.

Around 30% or a bit more are single vehicle deaths - due to drink driving/speeding and i have no doubt of a few people committing suicide.

[paddyb]

my dad is a driver tester and he says that nobody should even think about doing their test until they have had at least 20 lessons

[sean]

This is going to prove to be a bit of an inconvenience for me if I don't get the finger out and have the test before my 2nd provisional expires! Overall though I think its something that has to be done, if it even saves one life it will be truly worth it.

[Aido82]

good idea, but it will hurt alot of students and rural area's that have to travel to get to work

[REDHEART]

Woke up this morning to say the latest proposals for learner drivers on provisional licences!
iv had my provisional for over a year and im currently waiting for my test!
these new rules are absolute bull!!
how do they expect people to go to work,collect their kids from school etc!!
they cant announce the changes on a thursday and bring them into effect on a tuesday!!

i agree in theory with the rule that you shouldnt be allowed drive if you fail your test etc but they cant just announce it a couple of days before it comes into effect!

they should have cleared the back log first!

anyone else got any views?

agree with ya on those points.how the **** do i drive now.i've paid over 5'000 for my car.car insurance over the last 3 weeks.:confused:i'm not really in a position to drive with a full licence driver.i'm 32 ffs.so how do i drive to and away from my test.:confused:

there was up to 700 road deaths back in the 70/80's.lot less now i reckon. most deaths occur at night.or the early hours of the morn,so drink and drugs are a big factor.

[Dub13]

Provisional licence-holders earn eight-month reprieve

28/10/2007 - 13:14:18

The Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has announced he is modifying the lead-in time for new rules governing holders of provisional licences.

Those with existing provisional driver licences now have until next June to complete their driving tests, the Minister said.

However, anyone who applies for a licence from next Tuesday will be issued with a learner permit, obliging them to be accompanied by a driver who has had a full licence for at least two years.

The applicants will also have to have six months of supervised driving practice before applying for a test.
From June 30, 2008, all provisional licence holders must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver of at least two years experience.

"This move is made in response to two clear messages from the public," the Minister said today.

"Firstly, there is strong support for the proposed reforms to improve road safety. Secondly, there is a strong desire for a reasonable lead-in time to enable people to prepare for and take their test or to make alternative arrangements.

"For these reasons I have decided to defer implementation of the requirement for second provisional licence holders to be accompanied until 30th June 2008."

The Minister said the Government was committed to providing the necessary finance to the Road Safety Authority to ensure that all 122, 000 applicants currently on the waiting list will have been tested by early March 2008.

He said that, by the end of June 2008, all applicants for a driving test would be able to get a test within 10 weeks.

Link (http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhmheykfauid/)

[carragherisgod]

my dad is a driver tester and he says that nobody should even think about doing their test until they have had at least 20 lessons
He would say that. Laughing all the way to the bank I'd say

[paddyb]

He would say that. Laughing all the way to the bank I'd say

how is a driving tester laughing all the way to the bank?

[yodabenitez]

I appreciate it's a pain for those who thought the rules we're otherwise and the thing has been introduced with the cackhanded inneficiency we have come to expect but.......

Absent a full license your not competent to drive, sorry if this doesn't suit you.

There are so many contributory factors to the daily tragedy that occurs on our roads that we could talk forever about which bit is the worst. I'm delighted that at last some concentrated effort seems to be being made no matter how much it inconveniences. Easy for me to say I know with a full license but I do have children who will shortly be looking to take two tons of killing machine onto the road. Any measure that reduces the carnage is worth the inconvenience.

[carragherisgod]

how is a driving tester laughing all the way to the bank?

It was meant as a joke. But to clarify, I meant he's bound to say get x amount of lessons because he probably charges what? €40 a lesson? Not bad for an hours work ...

[paddyb]

It was meant as a joke. But to clarify, I meant he's bound to say get x amount of lessons because he probably charges what? €40 a lesson? Not bad for an hours work ...

thats cool but i just want to clarify

as I said he is driving tester who gives people their driving test so he does not give anyone lessons

the needing 20 lessons is his opinion after twenty years of doing driving tests!

[carragherisgod]

thats cool but i just want to clarify

as I said he is driving tester who gives people their driving test so he does not give anyone lessons

the needing 20 lessons is his opinion after twenty years of doing driving tests!

Ahhhhh ... my bad. I though he was a driving lesson type dude.

Sorry about that. i'm embarrassed now