Restricted licence time frame

[notme]

....everyone busted their gut to be competent and get rid of the dreaded L coloured rego sticker......
.......I bet there is some who do not want their licences popping in the system because they will have warrants for arrest, and/or piles of unpaid fines catching up with them.

Yep, the pride in achievement seems to be lacking these days huh? I can't really understand the idea of not going thru the stages just out of pride in doing it properly, regardless of any penalties that might be imposed.

Interesting cos I still have my learners but I would not count myself as high risk
I get my aggression and competitiveness out on the track

Maybe cos they haven't tried? The might be the safest riders in the world but because they haven't sat a test the are instantly more dangerous? I don't think so

Well I admit I'm lazy as fuck about my licenses but it's bullshit that im higher risk

Unfortunately the bare black and white facts say that you are higher risk, simply because of the class of license you are on. The problem is that rachprice the individual is probably a skilled safe rider, but rachprice the statistic is lumped in with all the other munters.
So why not get yourself out of that group?

I sat on my learner motorcycle license for 8 years. All the bikes I have owned and ridden have been under 250cc. If I want to go anywhere after 10pm I drive my car as I have a full class 1.

When I go for a ride on my bike, I ride to the conditions and my skill level...I'm not sure how this makes me an unsafe rider/driver. Ask the crowd of people I ride with down in chch, I keep up, ride safely and don't cause problems.

Why should I be punished for not getting my full? This whole theory that learner/restricted drivers/riders are unsafe has not been fully thought through.

BTW, I sat my restricted and passed 1 month ago. I did that so I can get my full and ride the cm400 custom that I bought 5 months ago. It's sitting in my parents garage where I can't be tempted by it.

You have good self control! You're probably the exception though - sticking to your license conditions properly as you do.

The theory that less than full licensed drivers are more dangerous comes from the fact that they will have been driving for a shorted period of time, which means less experience dealing with common road hazards and situations. That is why there are restrictions on the license, like driving at night, open road speed etc.

Think about your particular case:Iif you are obeying your license conditions fully as you say you are - you are not getting the experience of night riding, open road speed, passengers etc and so you are missing out on learning those skills, which would make you a better overall rider.

I can see how that directly translates to the govt line that people on a less than full license are going to be more of a risk on the road.

[Gareth123]

You have good self control! You're probably the exception though - sticking to your license conditions properly as you do.

The theory that less than full licensed drivers are more dangerous comes from the fact that they will have been driving for a shorted period of time, which means less experience dealing with common road hazards and situations. That is why there are restrictions on the license, like driving at night, open road speed etc.

Think about your particular case:Iif you are obeying your license conditions fully as you say you are - you are not getting the experience of night riding, open road speed, passengers etc and so you are missing out on learning those skills, which would make you a better overall rider.

I can see how that directly translates to the govt line that people on a less than full license are going to be more of a risk on the road.

I have always done 100km/h on the motorway, unless conditions don't allow it, any other speed seems stupid to me.

As far as riding at night, it gets dark in winter around 7pm? I ride home from my karate class around 9. That includes a stretch of motorway that has a big dark section in it and another road that has 1 street light in 6km. I've done my fair share of night riding in my 7 years on a motorbike. Obviously not just from karate though.

I do consider myself a well rounded rider.

I can see where you are coming from with regards to people who haven't been on their learners or restricted for very long lacking experience, but this is directly targeting the people who have been on their learners/restricted license for an extended period. Provided they have stuck to the limits of their license, do they not have all the experience they need for commuting to and from work if they have done it for 8 years?

[notme]

I have always done 100km/h on the motorway, unless conditions don't allow it, any other speed seems stupid to me.

Technically outside the conditions of your license when you were still on your L...
yes everyone does it, yes it's dangerous to have traffic getting aggro behind you if you obey the law in this respect, but also, if you get stopped, you are technically up for a fine/demerits. Isn't it easier just to get off that L as soon as possible? You also get to ditch the oh so fashionable L plate, otherwise known as an aiming point for the cagers.

As far as riding at night, it gets dark in winter around 7pm? I ride home from my karate class around 9. That includes a stretch of motorway that has a big dark section in it and another road that has 1 street light in 6km. I've done my fair share of night riding in my 7 years on a motorbike. Obviously not just from karate though.

Riding in the dark is not necessarily the same as riding at night. Yes it's dark before your 10pm curfew, however if you have never ridden through town at 3am on a sunday morning, you might not have experienced the drunks making their way home, either stumbling across the road or piloting a cage. If you have never ridden at 6am in either the dark OR light due to your curfew, you may not have had the experience of dealing with the fleets of delivery trucks that move around in the early hours. If you have never ridden when your body clock tells you that you should rightfully be asleep, you may never get the experience of knowing when you are losing alertness and how to deal with it.

One of the BRONZ riding instructors imparted this very valid point to me, so I say it again: Riding in the dark is not necessarily the same as riding "at night".

Looks like it won't be an issue for you as you are on your way to a full, but it's something to think about.

I do consider myself a well rounded rider.

I can see where you are coming from with regards to people who haven't been on their learners or restricted for very long lacking experience, but this is directly targeting the people who have been on their learners/restricted license for an extended period. Provided they have stuck to the limits of their license, do they not have all the experience they need for commuting to and from work if they have done it for 8 years?

Unfortunately theres no way to differentiate the 2 groups. It would be a nightmare to introduce some sort of exception system, maybe based on a test (in which case why not just do the normal licensing test) so i can see the point of just limiting the time. You just don't know from the outside if person A who has been on their L for 8 years has been riding for 8 years or has never touched a bike since basic handling test.

[MarkH]

Let's look at the main thrust of the article:

The problem is that 10% of licensed drivers are 'languishing' on restricted licenses for more than 2 years, and oh by the way also 18,000 motorcyclists have had learners for up to 15 years. But yet "The main focus of the Government's strategy is, as Mr Joyce puts it, "a young kid at 2 o'clock in the morning being egged on by his mates at 120 km/h, roaring round the countryside and having an accident".

It really does worry me that you have these young teenagers that have been riding motorcycles with only an 'L' license for 15+ years who are riding around at 2am with 3 mates on the back at 120kph around the countryside and having accidents. I didn't even realise that such a thing was happening, but now that I have read that article I am shocked and appalled - hopefully Steven Joyce will quickly fix that situation up and we will all finally be safe on the roads. It is good that our politicians are always looking out for our best interests - I'm sure we will have the yearly road toll down to single digits within a couple of years!

[release_the_bees]

I've had my 1L for 11 years now, simply because I've never had an ongoing need for anything other than a bike. In the odd case where I have had to drive, it has always been with somebody that had their full licence already, so having my L hasn't been an issue.

I guess the proposed changes would probably have worked in getting me onto a 1F license, but whether these changes would make the road a safer place seems pretty debatable. There are enough idiots out there already with full licenses for my liking!

[notme]

I've had my 1L for 11 years now, simply because I've never had an ongoing need for anything other than a bike. In the odd case where I have had to drive, it has always been with somebody that had their full licence already, so having my L hasn't been an issue...

You'll have to excuse me - I've been on the meths....you're on a car learner license and you ride a bike?

There are enough idiots out there already with full licenses for my liking!

With and without, in fact....

[release_the_bees]

You'll have to excuse me - I've been on the meths....you're on a car learner license and you ride a bike?

Correct. I have my full bike license and my learner car license.

[superman]

Well I admit I'm lazy as fuck about my licenses but it's bullshit that im higher risk

I said the same about being an 18 year old male to my insurance company. I mean yes maybe the majority of 18 year old males are higher risk but.. blah blah blah blah.

Same with if learner license holders end up being a higher risk group... then punished they shall get.

They like to do grouping

[hellokitty]

I have a quick question - how do you insure your motorbike if you don't have the appropriate license?
I had an 800cc bike 1 week before I got my full and could only insure it to sit in the garage.

Or do the people riding more than 250cc bikes on a learners not insure themselves?

[superman]

I have a quick question - how do you insure your motorbike if you don't have the appropriate license?
I had an 800cc bike 1 week before I got my full and could only insure it to sit in the garage.

Or do the people riding more than 250cc bikes on a learners not insure themselves?

I'm guessing not insured. Just like when I drive post 10pm at night, no insurance because of not sticking to license conditions. Yay.

[hellokitty]

I'm guessing not insured. Just like when I drive post 10pm at night, no insurance because of not sticking to license conditions. Yay.

So what happens when you cause an accident? I wrote my car and another person's car off last year - entirely my fault - if I had not been insured, I would have ended up in court and facing huge financial cost.

[superman]

So what happens when you cause an accident? I wrote my car and another person's car off last year - entirely my fault - if I had not been insured, I would have ended up in court and facing huge financial cost.

If I cause an accident after 10pm I'm pretty much screwed if it's anything expensive. I guess the same if you're on your learners and they determine you were going over 70km/h the insurance company wouldn't pay out and you'd be in the shit again. So... I'm just trying to head to my full as quick as possible so that the situations I ride in are actually insurable

[hellokitty]

If I cause an accident after 10pm I'm pretty much screwed if it's anything expensive. I guess the same if you're on your learners and they determine you were going over 70km/h the insurance company wouldn't pay out and you'd be in the shit again. So... I'm just trying to head to my full as quick as possible so that the situations I ride in are actually insurable

Just keep it legal and drive/ride as per your license - it makes things a lot easier. I know it is expensive to sit the tests but they are so easy that there is no way really that you can fail them.
I really can't see why people just don't do it...

Surely you just factor in the extra cost - like we have to with the increased rego costs.

[notme]

So what happens when you cause an accident? I wrote my car and another person's car off last year - entirely my fault - if I had not been insured, I would have ended up in court and facing huge financial cost.

See my earlier comments about the mentality.....unfortunate, but it seems to be how some people think!

[awa355]

If a learners or restricted licence meets your needs, I can understand why a driver does not get a full.

I find a car and motorcycle licence meet mine, and I remain untempted to get a bulldozer licence, even though I know it is much safer as no one driving a bulldozer was killed on the roads last year.

I've had my bulldozer licence for over 30 years and haven't killed anybody on the road with it yet. Had one perched on a stump, bogged in a swamp and have winched a tree over onto the said bulldozer. but never cleaned anyone up on a public road. Wonder if a D85 Komatsu can be registered???