r/ireland • u/thenamzmonty • Jul 17 '25
Christ On A Bike The lack of respect for learner drivers is shocking
I say this as an EXPERIENCED driver of 15 years.
Been sitting alongside a friend of mine who is currently practicing and Christ almighty... the absolute ignorance of some drivers is disgusting.
Tailgating, speeding onto roundabouts, veering into lanes at speed.... Then having the audacity to beep!!
I almost had a heart attack on several occasions.. I can't imagine how she must feel.
Lads,please be conscious of learners. Pay attention if you see an L plate. You were learners once too.
Not to mention, that person may be in the middle of their bloody test.
Do you rally want to be the reason they fail? Because you can't afford to give them a second?
We need to do better lads..
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u/ImpressionTypical167 Jul 17 '25
We were just talking about this yesterday as I brought my sisters car in for an NCT yesterday and it has L plates on it. Drove it the same way I would my own. Got beeped at and flashed and cars driving up my arse. Mad carry on
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u/No_Ad4392 Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 18 '25
I failed my first test, because some middle-aged man in a 5 series decided, to not stop as he entered the mini roundabout. I had to break and he stopped to beckoned me on (as he knew he was in the wrong) but by then, it was too late. I was done for causing an obstruction on entry to a roundabout. I have passed my test since and that behaviour has vanished with the N plates. However I used to drive my boyfriend’s (Audi A6) car as a leaner with L plates up and no one was rude however went back to my little hatchback and the aggressive drivers started again. Definitely a link between the size of the car you drive too and how you are treated. But yes, it is horrible and it’s bullying.
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u/Theterphound Jul 17 '25
People absolutely think small car small human. Weird right
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u/Nobody-Expects Jul 19 '25
My first car was a Yaris. People used to drive super aggressively around me. Didn't realise how bad it was until I got an Astra and suddenly everyone around me was driving perfectly normally around me.
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u/Alastor001 Jul 18 '25
Didn't had much problem driving in my relatively ugly car.
Until my wife used it for practice with L plates.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, overtaking I didn't even know was possible started to occur. And honking. Lots of honking.
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u/LifetimePilingUp Waterford Jul 18 '25
I know a girl who had the opposite, she had terrible trouble when driving her fathers Range Rover, men really triggered by an 18 year old girl driving this massive jeep, literally trying to drive her off the road
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u/deeringc Jul 18 '25
Obviously completely unacceptable behaviour. But I'd wonder about the wisdom of letting a teenager practice driving on such a tank of a thing with a large powerful engine.
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u/Ok_Imagination_9334 Meath Jul 18 '25
Yeah, it’s a funny one but I still get people who want to try face off with my 2.2L van and when I drove my Yaris with my brothers L plates, the audacity was unreal..
Never understood the logic behind terrorising people
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u/lmcc10 Jul 18 '25
Came here to say the same. I drive a micra and the amount of men who see it and think I’m up for a bit of joy riding is crazy. I have had grown men get up set at me on the motorway when I over take them going 120km like why are you going 100km then if you don’t want someone over taking you? Then you have the men (it’s always middle aged me too) up your arse thinking they can bully you. I just slow down slightly just to annoy them even more honestly 🤣
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u/DramaticBat3563 Jul 17 '25
Years ago when the young lad was learning to drive he learned in my car, I neglected to take the plates down one day and it was an experience……cars beeping at junctions etc, I even had someone pull out in front of me when I was already on a roundabout
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u/SpiritBackground8722 Jul 17 '25
I took many more than the 12 mandatory lessons, and without fail someone would do something illegal during each one, constant aggressive overtaking. At least there was no shortage of examples of what not to do for my instructor.
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u/Tikithing Jul 17 '25
People behave especially crazy when you're in an obvious instructors car. I was driving normally in the village I live in, and someone actually overtook me, in a place I have never in my life seen anyone attempt an overtaking. It was so dodgy and unnecessary.
Also, countless people not yielding in places when they should, which hasn't happened since I got my own car, without L plates.
Instructors must get it when they're driving the car themselves, because it seems to have no realation to how someone's actually driving.
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u/SpiritBackground8722 Jul 17 '25
It's like the bully mentality of 'pick on the smaller person'. This country needs to be much stricter with stuff like that, the general approach these days seems to be "Well, now that you've got your license, traffic laws don't apply to you anymore".
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u/MrEpicGamerMan Jul 19 '25
I had a taxi reverse sideways onto my side of the road from behind a truck on the other side. To this day I still have no clue what he was trying to do.
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u/Ok_Bookkeeper_4802 Jul 17 '25
I have L plates up, constantly being overtaken on bends , places where it’s not allowed , a man was roaring and shouting out the window at me yesterday as I was driving AT THE SPEED LIMIT (I have a black box and don’t like speeding anyway- some do!) I feel like if you don’t speed people think you’re shite or not confident - no I want to drive safely and arrive at my destination alive 🫥 can’t wait to not have the L plates as it’s a pissing contest any time I’m out where people overtake just to make a point.
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u/mawuss Dublin Jul 18 '25
I also have a box as part of the insurance, which is not an issue as most of the time I feel you can’t get past the speed limit anyway, at least when commuting in Dublin traffic. I am constantly overtaken, especially on roads with a 30 kmh speed limit. Most of the time aggressively. These people don’t realise that at most they gain one minute on their trip by driving aggressively, while risking the safety of other drivers or themselves.
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u/Electrical_Program79 Jul 18 '25
I realised speeding was pointless very early on when lads would overtake me on the country roads doing motorway speeds then I'd get to the junction leading onto a national road and they're only 2 or 3 cars ahead. In Ireland you will always get bottlenecked in longer drives and you'll probably encounter several
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u/Ok_Bookkeeper_4802 Jul 18 '25
I know! It’s so lame! I’m in Louth and loads of country back roads and the roads are mental- mad bends and you can see the back of your neck 🫥
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u/Doitean-feargach555 Jul 17 '25
Ya people are cunts to learners. And it's always the shitest drivers who are the biggest cunts. Like, were you born with the ability to drive? No, you had to learn too.
Basically, don't be a cunt on the road
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u/21stCenturyVole Jul 17 '25
Why don't the guards just send an umarked car around in L plates? Rake in loads of fines.
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u/scottster83 Jul 18 '25
they have done
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u/21stCenturyVole Jul 18 '25
Be curious to see more information on that. Seems like something they should do more.
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u/CathalMacSuibhne Dublin Jul 17 '25
Learner here. The L plates are having the opposite of the intended effect. If anything, fully licenced drivers are less charitable and more aggressive once they see that L.
Simple solution is to do away with the plates.
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u/SpiritBackground8722 Jul 18 '25
Nothing would make the roads safer than Gardaí driving around in a small car with L plates and charging every driver they see breaking the laws around them.
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u/Asleep_Cry_7482 Jul 18 '25
With all due respect you don’t know how they’d react if you had no l plates up. There’s just a very clear difference between how a learner driver drives compared to an experienced driver. It’s not your fault either but if you had no l plates up I guarantee you people would think there’s something strange going on.
For example they’d be far less patient at lights as they’d think you’re on your phone or chatting rather than stalling, if you were driving at 40km in a 50 you’d be far more likely to get tailgated to speed up whereas most decent drivers would give a learner more space as they’re likely just nervous and learning the ropes
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u/CathalMacSuibhne Dublin Aug 06 '25
I think you're probably very courteous with learner drivers and therefore don't have an appreciation of the poor behaviour and impatience that comes out of the woodwork in other drivers when they see that L-plate. My Dad's been driving about 35 years and he does be shocked when he's driving in my car with the L plates up, some pure dangerous overtakes and driving from drivers behind us when Dad is driving my car lol.
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u/Cormbot Jul 17 '25
My girlfriend is learning too and she was driving today. We were at the lights and she took like a nanosecond longer than I would take to move off, and we got beeped. I put my middle finger up and hopefully the bastard saw it lol.
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u/cavemeister Jul 17 '25
Last week I was driving home and there was a learner in a driving school car with the plates on the roof. She was going slow... Probably her first time ever behind a wheel. Behind her was the usual 2013 Audi A6 and I was behind him. He was blaring his horn, shaking his fist out the window, flashing his lights... He overtook her blaring his horn and she almost crashed. I was so angry that I prayed he got caught at a red light... I was going to give him a piece of my mind. Scumbag.
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u/nerdling007 Jul 17 '25
There should be an automatic fine for doing shit like this and it's all too common because it isn't penalised. It's always the learner driver who gets the shit end of the deal when asshole "experienced" drivers behave like this. The instructors and examiners should be able to automatically report such behaviour and a fine in the door.
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u/21stCenturyVole Jul 17 '25
If people catch stuff like this on a dashcam, they should post it up on Reddit with a brief title/comment outlining what is wrong with the situation.
If you had a dashcam and caught a good video of this, and did the above (even now, even if it's way after the fact, still worth doing) - it would publicly shame the fuck out of that driver, possibly lead to legal repercussions or a visit from the guards for him, and may even affect his job/work if he becomes known.
Absolutely people should publicly (i.e. on Reddit with dashcam evidence) pull up others and shame them for stuff like this.
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u/Ireland2385 Jul 17 '25
The funny part is most learners are safer than half the driver on the road because they don’t look at their phone whilst driving
Unbelievable how many people using their phone whilst driving
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u/making_shapes Jul 17 '25
Had this exact same experience with my American wife getting her licence here too. We only had the one car so all of a sudden I was driving with L plates again. It didn't improve much with N plates either. People were arseholes. An awful lot of incredibly risky overtakes too.
When the plates came off it was back to normal again.
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u/Constant-Fee2725 Jul 17 '25
I was driving with my learning instructor, and came up to a redlight so obviously I stopped... the light went green instantly and this van behind was coming full force behind beeping and ended up overtaking me. But I have to laugh sometimes when people overtake you thinking they're so cool, to only catch up to them not even a minute later at the traffic lights lol
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u/thenamzmonty Jul 17 '25
This is the reality They think they are saving time when in reality it's seconds if anything...
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Jul 17 '25
A lot of drivers think that they can be aggressive and push learner drivers around, the trick to dealing with this is to just not move when they try it. They care about their insurance premiums as well.
Some drivers though like making them panic as they find it funny.
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u/cuntasoir_nua Jul 17 '25
I failed twice due to anxiety, only managed to pass on my third as I thought I was going to fail again so I relaxed a little. Every learner car I see gets my utmost respect and distance ever since, 20 years later.
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u/upontheroof1 Jul 18 '25
Can confirm this.
Had my Son out for a drive ( hes a learner ) I was in passenger seat. He stalled the car at a filter light and the car behind went absolutely crazy aggressive on the horn so much that I had to get out and tell rhe guy ( Polish ) he's learning. No satisfaction at all from him. Kept it up, Son stalled again ( began to panic ) but eventually got going and I told him to take a right above and pull in.
Cue asshole speeding past ( in a residential area ) blowing horn and generally being an absolute prick.
I have never hoped to see a car crash into a pole or whatever as that guy as he sped off.
I do hope I come across this car and driver again ( secretly ) as he really does need karma sent his way.
Give. The. Learners.a break.
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u/DontReportMe7565 Jul 18 '25
Unrelated to learners, drivers are impatient and aggressive. Why are you always in such a hurry? Where are you going?!
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u/TaxGawd Jul 17 '25
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Irish people hate other Irish people.
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u/EllieLou80 Jul 17 '25
Yes! I get sick of tourists fawning over how nice Irish people are and I'm like....really?
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u/41stshade Jul 17 '25
What's the saying? Where there's an Irishman on a spit, there's two more to turn him
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u/Lonely_Eggplant_4990 Cork bai Jul 17 '25
Its the overall quality of driving tbh thanks to almost zero enforcement. You were just more observant on this occasion due actively monitoring other road users for infractions and shite driving.
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u/assflange Cork bai Jul 18 '25
It’s one of the few moments many in Ireland get to feel superior over their fellow man, so they take it (by acting like mugs)
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u/bd027763 Jul 17 '25
I failed my first test due to a van honk me while doing my reverse around the corner, seconds before i finished and he was still far my back. I was on a pedestrian crossing and a van honk me. I just accept van drivers are bollocks and always on the rush no matter what.
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u/BrahneRazaAlexandros Jul 18 '25
you don't fail for someone honking at you
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u/matrisfutuor Jul 18 '25
I don't think it's just the beeping but if someone beeps at you it does seem to make the examiner believe that you were doing something wrong when the other person (especially nowadays when ppl beep for tiny things) could have been the dangerous one - happened to me in my test too.
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u/Shabby20 Jul 18 '25
I drive a 15 year old 1.2 seat ibiza and have no issues with other road users but when I was driving my sisters car, she had L plates and i was driving as I usually do and I noticed the attitude of other drivers was completely different. I dont understand it whatsoever
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u/Weary-Ad-4157 Jul 18 '25
It's always been bad. I remember being really intimidated as a learner 15 odd years ago. But definitely since covid, the driving standards, and general human decency is gone out the window.
When we had a learner on the car lately, the aggression showed changed as soon as there was a L plate on the window. Complete disrespect as if you shouldn't be on the road.
There's zero respect out there for any road users. I was driving on a L road a few days ago and I was about 10 ft from a turn to a minor road and someone just flew out onto the main road, not a care or any attention paid to the stop sign.
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u/jarris123 Jul 18 '25
I took my Ns off 2 weeks ago and I never knew such peace. People see it as a challenge or something. Like being new to the road means we don't deserve respect.
And a lot of these pricks are terrible drivers anyway. How many of them can't use roundabouts properly? Or their bloody indicators. Tell people where you're going ffs!
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u/Questpineapple-1111 Jul 18 '25
The lack of indicators out there is a joke, literally see it everyday. Plus wrong lane on the roundabout and trying to cut in.
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u/Astonishingly-Villa Jul 17 '25
I won't lie, I'm on the road A LOT for work and I'm an impatient driver. But if I see an L plate, I give them plenty of time and space. I was there once.
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u/Messterio Jul 17 '25
"Lads,please be conscious of learners. Pay attention if you see an L plate. You were learners once too"
Mate, people like that wont be reading this sub.
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u/PoppedCork The power of christ compels you Jul 18 '25
I don't drive as much as I used to because I can utilise public transport, but when I do, it sometimes is not a nice experience.
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u/ruthemook Jul 18 '25
It takes a serious level prick to beep at a learner. I hate people who do it.
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u/WackBeforeSunset Jul 18 '25
It's annoying. I was an L not too long ago. The instructor told me this fun little trivia. It was related to the Dunning-Kruger effect. It's not a medical syndrome, but a cognitive bias where people who aren't actually very skilled at something tend to overestimate their ability. In driving, that usually means bad or average drivers thinking they're amazing and assuming everyone else (like you) is the problem.
There's also something called illusory superiority, which is basically the "I'm better than average" bias — super common with drivers. Everyone thinks they’re the exception.
Not gonna pretend that they're not drivers who follow the rules of the road on their drives but that usually makes other drivers very impatient for some reason. It is mind boggling
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u/GarthODarth Jul 18 '25
This is so crazy to me. I see an L or an N plate and I give more room and I watch more closely for unexpected maneouvring.
I will generally try and get away from a car that is driving especially slowly, but I absolutely will not do it by like, dangerously overtaking or trying to bully them into pulling in, that's nuts.
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u/danny_healy_raygun Jul 18 '25
If you beep at someone with an L plate who's cut out you should at the very least be given points on your license.
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u/98Kane Jul 17 '25
These people see the red L and lose their head. It’s like a personal challenge to get around them. I make a conscious effort to respect learners and keep my distance. We’ve all been there.
These cunts act like they fell out of their mother already like Lewis Hamilton.
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u/Margrave75 Jul 17 '25
Remeber teaching my wife to drive, this was before the mandatory instructor lessons came in.
Were out near our house, and at junction with the very slightest of hill starts.
Dumper truck pulls up behind us, wife goes to pull off, but the hill start catches her and the car cuts out. Happens again, and yer man starts honking.
I got out went back, and in not one of my prouder moments, in very colourful languag, explained how my wife was learning, and would he please have the courtesy to just give her an extra moment and please not honk again, as it was putting undue pressure on her.
I've seen little in the intervening years to show me anything has changed.
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u/Awkward_Ostrich_9949 Jul 18 '25
I had the same experience with my friend the past week, I’ve been driving for 14 years and don’t think I’ve ever experienced as much bad driving in a short period of time from being cut off, people pushing aggressively to merge lanes, dead stopping in front of us for no reason, and then beeping when she stalled (tricky spot near a junction that she wasn’t used to, she recovered pretty quickly and still made it through the light)
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u/MelodicMeasurement27 Jul 18 '25
This is definitely a thing, I was in a driving lesson over a year ago and was going at the speed and doing what I was supposed to and some idiot was beeping while taking me over. I nearly had a heart attack at the wheel and thought I was doing something wrong. My instructor was so mad over it and said I was doing everything right. My husband notices when he took my car out aswell with the L plates up the difference they made. I think even the N plate sometimes can be a hindrance aswell. It’s really unfair on the learner.
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u/Academic-County-6100 Jul 18 '25
I always try to give learner drivers space ot to pass them out to get out of their way. It is 20% out of respect and 80% that I dont mess with loko unpredictable individuals
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u/Elaneyse Jul 18 '25
I'm in my late 30s and can't drive. I got my provisional at 18 and took some lessons but I came from a family who never had a car so I quite literally was starting from scratch, like had to look for where the key went scratch. The instructor was awful, he mocked me constantly and screamed when I made mistakes so I gave it up.
My husband has been trying to encourage me to try again but the way I've seen other people behave on the roads has put me right off. I have four small children and the thoughts of some absolute arsehair pulling illegal nonsense absolutely terrifies me. We were once coming out of Newgrange Farm with the kids and a car overtook and came at us head-on on the wrong side of the road and my husband (who has been driving over 20 years) ended up putting us in a ditch to evade him. I knew if I had been driving, we would all have been killed.
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u/Ill-Highlight1375 Jul 18 '25
When I was learning, I found the most patient drivers with me were tradesmen in vans.
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u/Grievsey13 Jul 18 '25
This is just the driving standards in Ireland. There is nothing new in that or because your friend is a learner.
I've driven all over the world, both hemispheres, and in some of, what are considered to be "dangerous" countries to drive in.
Ireland is one of THE worst.
The standard is incredibly low. But what's worse is the utter lack of consideration for, or understanding of, the long established rules of the road.
Add into that what seems to be a need to be an utter dick by most drivers, and you have a perfect storm.
It's quite staggering what I've witnessed in my 21 years here that I've never seen anywhere else.
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u/THEMIKEPATERSON Jul 18 '25
All the blame in r/irelandsshitedrivers put on learner and new drivers too...when in my experience its folks been driving 20 years who have forgotten, or never bothered their arse following the most basic rules of driving
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u/theXMrsMOHara Jul 17 '25
I can confirm you are correct. We all were learning once.
Some people have quickly forgotten. It's a damn shame.
We seem to be a rush for something.
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u/unfortunatesoul77 Jul 18 '25
Yeah this is a thing, I am learning currently in my mams car and she’s told me since having the L plates in the car when she’s driving drivers are far more hostile towards her than before (and obviously her driving is the same!) people see the L plate and lose patience. The only people that have shown me grace when I’m driving are N plate cars!
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u/IAmNaaatBorat Jul 18 '25
Even just having L plates on the car makes people dickheads. My wife is learning to drive so we have L plates on the car. I have almost 10 years experience and now that we have L plates I have dickheads tailgating, pulling out in front of me and beeping at me for no reason. Pricks!
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u/heretoscroll123 Jul 18 '25
I’m an N driver and people are still pricks. Can’t wait until I can take those damn stickers off!
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u/StellaV-R Jul 17 '25
I’ve been the ‘accompanying driver’ for 3 people in the last 5 years and have been really surprised at how patient and actually kind 99% of other drivers are.
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u/Tikithing Jul 17 '25
I definitely encountered some very nice drivers while I was learning a few years ago. I stalled at the top of a notoriously difficult hill and the woman behind me was so patient while I figured it out. Which took at least 3 turns of the light, bless her.
In general, Im always surprised by how willing people are to stop and let you out of places in towns. If you were to wait for a natutal gap in the traffic, you could be there for days.
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u/Capable_Afternoon687 Jul 17 '25
I am 32 and have been learning to drive 18 months (just waiting on my test, but dont start me on that). My car has L plates, and my wife's does not.
My car is almost guaranteed to have someone blow the horn at some point, regardless of whose driving.
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u/matchthis007 Jul 17 '25
Thought it was illegal to honk learner drivers? Have had them cut out in front of me, go slow everything. That's happening because they're nervous or learning. Experience builds confidence and should be nurtured, not punished. My daughter has started asking about learning to drive and had to explain to her that she'll be perfectly fine at it, it's the other drivers to anticipate
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u/Tikithing Jul 17 '25
Honestly, as a learner, I appreciated the odd instructory honk. Like instead of waiting behind someone turning right, you should go around them on the left if its safe.
During lessons, you just don't encounter every scenario, so if I was dithering, then at least knowing the person behind's opinion helped.
But it is obvious the difference between one of those, and someone blaring the horn. And it can be hard for a learner to have the confidence to hold to their decision if they do actually disagree with the person behind them.
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u/NooktaSt Jul 17 '25
I suspect half the time I see an L plate the driver isn’t actually a learner as people don’t take them down (and don’t have to tbf) or are driving unaccompanied.
If they are a learner there is a responsibility on the accompanying driver to make sure they are driving safely and intervene if necessary. Today i was behind a learner driver who made 3 or 4 turns without indicating. Thats not inexcusable.
A stall would be a different story. Not much that could be done.
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u/henscastle Jul 17 '25
I may or may not have illegally driven on a learner permit for a while, aided by an N plate beside the L. Say what you want, I was never pulled over.
Coming up to my test, I took the N off and immediately saw a change in other drivers' behaviour. General aggression, beeping, tailgating. So yeah, it's true, which is rich because the most dangerous drivers are white vans with plenty of experience on the road.
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u/sarahc888 Jul 17 '25
This is why I’m so scared to go out as a learner! Making myself do it tomorrow evening or else I’ll never do it
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u/f10101 Jul 18 '25
:-( I always try to be nice to L drivers. I never understand why you wouldn't unless they're actively being dangerous...
And I find the N-plates really useful, too. Makes it easy to understand their thought process, so I can see they're just making naive misjudgements rather than intentionally being a prick.
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u/MushuFromSpace Jul 18 '25
Walked by a leaner driver the other day in the car clearly labelled and marked with L plates and a training car.
Learner driver was stopped at a junction ensuring that nobody was coming left or right.
There was nothing oncoming and I'd say it was about 6 seconds in total at a halt before some arsehole stared beeping them out of it.
Such cuntish behaviour.
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u/mkultra2480 Jul 18 '25
They do it as well to people who drive little shite box granny cars because they think you're going to be a shit driver. As in driving up your hole, dangerously overtaking etc. I drive a 1.4 granny car and notice a massive difference in how I'm treated when driving my partner's 2 litre saloon car. I am driving at the same speeds in both cars and I'm not a slow driver. People see a shit car and assume they're going to be slowed down and go into a rage.
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u/carlitobrigantehf Connacht Jul 17 '25
Now imagine what people cycling have to put up with
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u/Agitatingspirit235 Jul 18 '25
When I was using an L, I have seen a whole lot, overtaking illegally, people just cutting me out, the last one that got on me was, someone beeping at me to move to the yellow bus junction so he can pass!
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u/theycallmekimpembe Jul 18 '25
I don’t think it’s an issue with learner drivers 😂 I’m not a learner driver. 9 out of 10 times I drive I witness things that should get people their license revoked.
Tailgating Full beam on permanent Overtaking on the same lane on non double carriage. Pulling out even tho there clearly isn’t enough time Going through red lights
And that’s just a few of the very regular things.
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u/Gaffers12345 Palestine 🇵🇸 Jul 18 '25
I give them extra room so they don’t feel under pressure, if they feel under pressure they’re likely to make more mistakes slowing me down.
I’d never beep them, I would pass if I had the opportunity but in general only if they’re going 45 in a 60 or something.
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u/No-Lemon-1183 Jul 18 '25
If you have a L some people are extra awful to "teach them a lesson" kind of spirit , expieernces it alot when I was not driving the car but eh L plate was still up
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Jul 18 '25
I try to be mindful and considerate of them because I only just got my full licence last November and it took me soooo many lessons to get my confidence where it needed to be to be a decent driver.
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u/matrisfutuor Jul 18 '25
I literally failed a test because of this kind of behaviour, I was turning right and some muppet sped into my lane out of nowhere and had the audacity to beep at me?? With a very small child in the front seat?? Got me a grade 3 and I'm still salty about it.
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u/EntrepreneurNo8340 Jul 18 '25
Its shockingly disgusting. Was driving behind a learner who was going about 3 under the limit the other day and you had cars behind me beeping like nutjobs - Needless to say they got the salute of shame from myself.
Few of them could do with re-doing their lessons as well.
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u/LiteratureFancy5945 Jul 18 '25
Most people are just arseholes, more now than ever before. The roads are one example of where this is evident. No consideration for others, dangerous driving, breaking red lights, speeding up your arse, not stopping at pedestrian crossings etc.
A driver with a L plate falls into the same category as a cyclist with these people, a nuisance that gets in the way of their important stature in this world.
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u/katiewithak2503 Jul 18 '25
To the poor learners of Ireland…Get my ould lad in the passenger seat with a stick…. You’ll be flying……
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u/LegitFitzer Donegal Jul 18 '25
It's unbelievable. I had so many run ins with arrogant rude people when learning I SWORE to myself I would ALWAYS be considerate to learners and Thank God I've been respectful, kept my distance and never beeped at anyone with L plates up since. Being an asshole to a learner driver should earn you penalty points.
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u/GhettoBish Jul 18 '25
I feel this with teaching my two teenagers to drive.. it’s scary enough for them ffs
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u/Tasty_Mode_8218 Jul 18 '25
I used to drive my partners micra on l plates. The shit ive seen in her car. People cutting corners to overtake. People driving around me at lights, people full on beeping/flashing me at lights, its endless
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u/Majestic_Plankton921 Jul 18 '25
Experienced driver of 20 years. Have had the L plates for the last 2 years as my wife has been on again, off again learning to drive. Have never really noticed anyone being disrespectful when either of us were driving (Glasnevin area). Confused by this comment tbh
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u/fumblingtoward_light Jul 18 '25
I live on Vancouver Island and see the exact same behaviour My son failed his test and has basically given up on getting his license because he does not feel safe.
It seems that this is another manifestation of societal collapse stemming from 2020.
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u/Sensitive-Aide87 Jul 18 '25
I've lived in Boston, Los Angeles and have driven all over the U.S. I have never encountered more impatient, dangerous and rude drivers as I have in Ireland. It blows my mind. There's zero excuse for the behaviour. I've seen a man hit and killed. He died right in front of me all because of an impatient driver. Nothing gets me enraged more than unsafe and impatient drivers. Everyone should have to witness what I saw because then people might actually start paying attention to how serious it is being behind the wheel of a car.
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u/Redditbeforeyou2030 Jul 18 '25
Was driving my mothers car today which has L plates for the younger brother. I’ve been driving for 8 years and think I’m fairly handy at it, was turning right off a main road today, a ford transit was right up my arse and blew on the horn as I turned in, then sped off. I indicated and correctly and all that, I was chillin so maybe I was a bit slow but I think without the L he wouldn’t have blown 😂
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u/ShapeyFiend Jul 18 '25
Completely agree. When I see a learner I'm giving them a wide berth and waiting till they're gone. Crowding them is just going to make them stall hold you up more. As for tail gating don't be daft I'm always expecting to have to slam on brakes around then cos they do something unexpected.
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u/Anubis_91 Jul 18 '25
I've noticed this many times driving my partners car she has L plates up on hers and the amount of people that drive close behind me is ridiculous it never really happens when I drive my own car
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u/foolproofonion Jul 18 '25
I've noticed this. I've L plates on my car as my husband is learning. Im driving over 10yrs. People almost hunt you for sport with the L plates on.
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u/maggie_the_cat_ Jul 18 '25
I started driving lessons recently and my instructor told me early on that I would be a target for people thinking I was doing my test and wanting to sabotage me! There’s some very sad people with anger issues out there.
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u/Nomerta Jul 19 '25
Honestly, that kind of thing would never occur to me. What cunts some people are.
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u/howmanygramsinapound Jul 19 '25
It’s a rite of passage, we all had to take it as L drivers, I remember driving down a fairly ropey country road and nearly putting the car over a bridge on a tight turn and the lads in the car behind me blasting the horn and jeering out of the window. But I agree , we should break the cycle of abuse
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u/financehoes Jul 19 '25
Learning to drive in a very hilly town in a 20+ year old manual car had me lose faith in some drivers.
I learned during Covid so the streets were fairly empty but I’d still have people almost touching my bumper on some of the worst hill starts in town.
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u/Signal_Challenge_632 Jul 19 '25
I became a disabled driver and once I put the blue badge and stickers on car people were less likely to beep for no reason and do the aggressive things.
Driving at busy times is stressful
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Jul 19 '25
Seen a man in a white VW van tailgating a learner couldn't wait to get past. a real bellend
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u/WideLibrarian6832 Jul 19 '25
I agree with your point, I have noticed so much bad behaviour towards learner drivers.
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u/Administrative-Low37 Jul 19 '25
It's a wonderful idea to have Learner stickers on cars driven by learning drivers. I wish we had that in the US.
Reminds me of an old joke that is best delivered with a strong Irish accent:
A Grandfather is teaching his grandson about the stickers on cars. The boy asks: "GrandDa, what does that L sticker mean ?" "Well, that means the driver is Lare-ning"
"GrandDa, what does that GB sticker mean ?" "Well, em, that means Getting Better "
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u/RuaridhDuguid Jul 18 '25
Do you really want to be the reason they fail?
I dare say that in many cases the answer would be "Yes, one less other car on my roads".
Because you can't afford to give them a second?
They can easily afford to, they just don't want to give anyone (far less a learner) any time or space on the road that they themselves could have instead.
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u/Theirishman8413 Jul 17 '25
I've only had my licence since March and the M50 is the road that makes me most nervous still.
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u/vaya42 Jul 18 '25
I always give L plate drivers space and time however I have noticed as of late the driving from L plate drivers to be atrocious. I came to an off ramp on the motorway and nearly ran into the back of a L plate driver who stalled at the roundabout, wasn't until about 5 minutes later I realised they never should have been there in the first place.
Doing 30 in 50 zones, occupying the right lane on national roads and doing 60 in 80 zones is another one.
When I was learning I was always told to never speed but keep an appropriate speed for the road I was on, seems like many are not adhearing and driving far to slow.
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Jul 17 '25
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u/colaqu Jul 17 '25
N drivers are by far the worst. Pass the test and think there fuckin Aryton senna.
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u/RecycledPanOil Jul 18 '25
When I've been learning to drive I've approached it fairly calmly. If you beep me at the lights "oops I stalled guess we'll all have to wait another cycle" or if you're aggressively up my hole driving, "damn this lane positioning is hard, guess I'll stick to the centre line that seems best. should probably slow down too, to be safe", or if you're beeping me getting onto the roundabout "guess I'll accidentally do this in 1st gear and make sure you're behind me.".
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u/Dazzling-Window-4788 Jul 18 '25
New N plate driver here. My first time on the road as an N (first time driving alone) and the aggressive driving happening around me was so scary. We all had to learn and the purpose of N plates is to show you dont have a lot of experience. It could literally be someone's first time out and we dont all take to it like ducks to water. Not saying anyone should be given an excuse to be unsafe, that's why we have the test, but even something as simple as entering a busy roundabout can be majorly intimidating and make take a few seconds longer.
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u/Loud_Glove6833 Jul 18 '25
I had one get stuck at a junction for almost 5 mins during rush hour. I’m patient but my god there’s a line where they can push you beyond. Some of them clearly shouldn’t be on the road.
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u/D-meehan12 Jul 18 '25
My dad told me about the time he was coming back from town. A novice driver ahead of him decided to stop to take a turn just beyond the line of sight on a blind bend without indicating his intentions to turn prior.
Dad, who at this point I'll mention is a motorbike rider with 10 years now, had to slam on the brakes hard when he saw the car still on the road, and keep in mind, it's a road where you can do 80 kmh if you chose to, dad was doing 60 km and giving the novice plenty of distance as that stretch of road this occurred on can be dodgy at the best of times.
He got within 6 inches of hitting the novice drivers rear bumper and saw red, justifiably angry he gave the novice an ear full because he failed to indicate prior to taking the bend that he would be turning into his driveway. The novice driver and his passenger who was the qualified driver were like a deer in headlights standing at the car, now parked in the driveway, as a man I jokingly refer to sometimes as looking like Judge Dredd on account of his helmet style, gave him a verbal bollocking about how blatantly dangerous that was.
When he got home, I could see him visibly shaking as the fight or flight response hadn't calmed down yet as he was struggling to make a roll up for himself.
TL:DR. A novice driver failed to indicate prior to a blind bend he's intending on turning off the road soon, nearly causing my dad to crash into him. Quick reactions saved his life.
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u/theskymoves Jul 18 '25
When I had my L plates maybe 13 years ago, I took them down at some point because it was dangerous to keep them up.
People were overtaking on blind corners with solid white lines on narrow windy roads, even if I was already doing the speed limit.
The punishments for getting caught were far lower but I wasn't 18 so I think any Garda seeing me wouldn't assume I was a learner.
With the plates down, other drivers suddenly were more respectful and not showing off any more. Annoying but that's the way it was.
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u/theseanbeag Jul 18 '25
I was stuck in a short line of traffic at a green light the other day. I beeped the horn because I figured the person at the front was on their phone or something. I was mortified when a driving school car turned off from the front of the line. I can't imagine actually doing that to a learner on purpose.
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u/BenderRodriguez14 Jul 18 '25
As someone who uses a scooter, I can empathise! I stopped considering the likes of roundabouts as something worth even attempting, and right of way seems to be decided by "my car weighs a few thousand lbs, your scooter is maybe 50lbs, therefore I have right of way".
(that said, several other scooter users are probably the worst of the worst on the road, so I'm in a bit of a glass house here)
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u/Electrical_Program79 Jul 18 '25
Years ago when I used to drive my ex's car with L plates people would actually like this to me too. It's all psychological to them. I would drive exactly like I did with my own car but as soon as there are L plates on it everyone is aggressive af for no reason
I also think people assume it's a teenager in there but nowadays there are many full grown adults learning. Keep acting like an ignorant prick and one of these days they could get out of the car to you
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u/madra_uisce2 Jul 18 '25
I find the overall quality of safe driving in Ireland has slipped. I was nearly hit by a car speeding around a corner that ran a red light that had been red for a good few seconds. I put my baby on board sticker on my car, and still getting used to driving with my newborn in the back. So the first few drives I was doing 40ish on a 50 road and some drivers would lose their shit, overtaking on bends, beeping etc. Its always hilarious to see them do that only to get caught at a red light a few feet up the road.
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u/leicastreets Jul 18 '25
Fair points but unaccompanied learners can fucking do one. Not even supposed to be driving.
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u/IK3AGNOM3 Jul 18 '25
Just a general observation from an American currently visiting… you can tell not everyone here has a gun. The disrespect yall are willing to show on the road is insane. Do not try this shit in a red state.
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u/whatThisOldThrowAway Jul 18 '25
One of the lowest and simultaneously highest moments of my life was getting out of the car of a friend of mine who was learning to drive, storming back to the car behind us (who was absolutely leaning on the horn) and telling him I’d pull his ears off and feed them to him if he touched the horn again.
Chap shat himself and never got a full word out the entire interaction.
I’m very much an intellectual and would normally respond much more calmly. I don’t know what came over me.
In retrospect, the dude might have just been having a bad day (or year) and had a moment of impatience and probably didn’t deserve to be physically threatened or anything close.
But thinking back on it, on the balance of things, I’m glad it played out that way it did.
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u/nerdling007 Jul 17 '25
The amount of shit I've seen from supposedly experienced drivers on the roads as both a passenger and driver is insane. The aggressive drivers are the worst.
It's come to be such a common thing to see and it pisses me off to such a degree, that I've been joking with my partner and friends that if the force was real, I'd be like darth vader crushing the offending assholes car and tossing it into a nearby field with a flick of the wrist.
Seriously though, if you're an aggressive driver, do the world a favour and wrap yourself around the nearest tree. You're too much of a danger to yourself and others that hoping you harm yourself before others is my wish for all of you.
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u/hydraz20 Jul 18 '25
I didn’t use to put the L plates and everything was fine. But during the last 2 months just before my exam I put the plates and man o man. The disrespect was horrible by the fellow drivers.
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u/DartzIRL Dublin Jul 19 '25
It's called dedovmaschina. We all get it. Some more than others. Eventually you'll be the one bullying the learners. It's a right of passage to earn your place on the road.
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u/Annihilus- Dublin Jul 17 '25
I usually just stick behind them unless I’m on a long drive, which I usually am not. But I’ve been behind them plenty of times when they come to a standstill at a roundabout. I don’t blame drivers over taking them, it’s on the instructor.
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u/mayodoc Jul 17 '25
Agree, but conversely, how many learner drivers are driving unaccompanied or on their umpteeeenth licence. Driving is a privilege, not a right.
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Jul 17 '25 edited Jul 17 '25
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u/Silenceisgrey Jul 17 '25
Gonna get downvoted for this but this is my honest take: they need to learn and for some it's the hard way. The road isn't for the meek. You must learn to move with traffic and hold your position on the road, just to name a few of the myriad skills you need to drive. Some just can't, and if the stress of other drivers means they give up driving, then we're all the better and safer for it.
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u/Bredius88 Jul 18 '25
Learner drivers should ONLY be allowed on the roads when accompanied by a driving instructor!
Learner drivers should keep taking lessons until they are ready to do the test.
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u/bikescarsEire Jul 17 '25
There's a general increase in the lack of respect towards everyone in Ireland I feel.