Poll for learners : L plate or na?

[motorbyclist]

Nope. 25 per offence.

it would seem you're right... has the law changed since 2004?


i also see that
"Person under 20 driving or attempting to drive with excess breath or blood alcohol " = 50 demerit points

what does it matter what age you are? - you're still drunk, is it somehow more acceptable once you're over 20?


and
"Failing to keep as close as practicable to left edge of roadway" is 20 points - holy crap 90% of auckland is guilty of that one!

[Chrislost]

har haha har
i used a L plate only twice.
once to get my restricted, and once about 2 weeks ago on the gsxr of doom on a coro loop that never happened and ended up going to welsford.

[Toaster]

it would seem you're right... has the law changed since 2004?


i also see that
"Person under 20 driving or attempting to drive with excess breath or blood alcohol " = 50 demerit points

what does it matter what age you are? - you're still drunk, is it somehow more acceptable once you're over 20?


and
"Failing to keep as close as practicable to left edge of roadway" is 20 points - holy crap 90% of auckland is guilty of that one!

Its been 25 demerits as long as I know. They are talking about increasing it though.

Age 20 is the defining point between 'youth' and 'adult' for traffic offences relating to drink driving.

There is another for the 20 and overs for the exact same thing - so no it is not more acceptable.

DRINK DRIVING (over the limit) is NEVER acceptable.

[dino3310]

had a DR500 so i didnt use the L plate cause i would have been busted

[bomma]

i was lazy and held my l license for about 2 years....had my l plate on for bout 2 days.....i felt confident enough that i wudnt need it based on the ease of which it is to ride....

got t-boned at royal oak (not my fault) on my bros bike after 10pm without an l-plate...insurance paid and cops didnt even ask....

i never did anything stupid that would drag attention my way and kept my eyes open at all times (as you do while on a bike)....basically if you cant afford to pay the many many consequences then keep to the law....

like we told kyle when he was looking to buy a 400 on his learners, think about the consequences and benefits.....he ended up buyin a 250, which got taken out by a car a few days after but as he was legal he was paid out.....

[TRAINING WHEELS]

Yes i rode most times with L plate on even outside of my conditions. I use to think about taking it off but thought about the insurance thing. No longer need the L plate and have since removed it
How ever i did get pulled over for riding on a L plate and the lovely thought i was riding a much bigger bike i got questioned as to wether or not it was re badged i mean come on its a brand new bike why would i do that?????

[Out-law]

I drive with my L plate all the time, and Im on M.way every day... going through the traffic and cops seems dont care.
There are more chances of getting pulled over when doing 70km/hr rather than 100km/hr because at 70 you are distraction on m.way and can cause truble...

However when I ride my ZZR1100 i dont put an L plate on it, that would be silly

[ehab2weelr]

i sade nope....
i oly had an L plate once and that wasnt even on my bike it was on the bike i used to set my restricted. hah
i just thought i didnt need it on only because other road users dont show respect to those with L plates. and allso iv been on my car full for well over 2 years.... didnt wana go back to the learner days...

i got into an accedent, cops came asked where was my L plate? i told him it must have fallen off as did my fearings.....and i got a way with it. insurens didnt ask eather.

i knew that if i was to get pulled over i would be fined $400... but if u ride safely ul never get pulled over...

restricted means ya still cant take pillions n still no bigger than 250... only thing is no L plate n time restriction... sit ya restricted n nothing will change... just means when your ready to go to full... you dont have to wait (& less chance of being fined for breaking 'conditions of licence' ie; the time restriction, cuz we all know they dont bother bout the 70kph silly rule one!!)

only no L plate, time restriction is still there....
and u can do 100kmh....

[sunhuntin]

in all honesty, as far as other road users not showing "respect" to l platers, most of the trouble ive had has been from cagers in front of me... pulling out from side streets, reversing from driveways. no way is that l plate related, because they cant see it! sure, ive tail gators, but thats cos i tend to ride like a nana, so again, not plate related.

[bikerboy011]

i've had an L-plate on when i got my learners but i dont need it any more as i got my restricted licence

[motorbyclist]

hey about this "if i don't act up i wont be ticketed" mentality - what if you go through a checkpoint and they ask to see your licence?

i know it's happened to me twice now, once with L plate and once on my restricted

[fireball]

whats an L plate? never used one they cause more trouble than they are worth been pulled over plenty but never ticketed just told to 'put your plate on kat and make sure you go straight home'

ride after hours over 70 no plate

but dont do dumb shit so its all good

[Squiggles]

hey about this "if i don't act up i wont be ticketed" mentality - what if you go through a checkpoint and they ask to see your licence?

i know it's happened to me twice now, once with L plate and once on my restricted

You bloody westies.
i've only ever been through one checkpoint (breathtesting) when the rugby was on at eden park and i was riding near it


Wear the plate but ride like everyone else (100k), dont have problems with tailgating, you're still insured and whats more, no need to makeup bullshit if something happens!

[Hanne]

most of the trouble ive had has been from cagers in front of me... pulling out from side streets, reversing from driveways. no way is that l plate related, because they cant see it!

That has been my experience too.

I wore my L plate on my learners because personally I didn't want to risk throwing away exorbitant amounts of money on a fine. Plus it only lasts for six months (Less if you consider that I got my licence in October, bike in January... )

I guess it is up to individuals whether they choose to wear one or not, but to honest I think that sometimes it is a bit of an ego thing when people choose not to. It can be very convenient to blame car drivers and use that as an excuse when really you don't want people to know that you only just started because the fact that you are 'learning' means you have less authority and are at risk of not being taken so seriously.

Just my 2cents.

[motorbyclist]

yeah i don't see how an L plate would make drivers more likely to be dicks when you're holding them up or just cut them off

you'd think being a learner would make a good excuse for screw ups... i know two learners who refuse to use an l plate because they're embarrassed by it (and don't want police attention on the motorway)

and today i met a guy with no licence on an old kawasaki gpx750 put too much power on tuning out of a side street (in the wet) and lowside it. ruined bike. weird thing is that he's got as much experience as most young riders with their full, it's just that (it would seem) some people can't keep the things on the road somehow...