What are people's thoughts on P-plates?

Pointless.

Personally I think theyre pointless. Youve passed your test and supposedly fit to be on the road to drive alone, whats the point of a P plate?!

I would actually think that someone with a P plate didnt feel confident enough to be driving alone, therefore shouldnt have passed the driving test. As far as I know 18 years ago when I passed my test there were no P plates, you passed and got on with it.

Excellent news on passing though, get out there girl on yer own without the P plates!

Congrats on passing your test!

MrKB refused to let me use P Plates. He thought that people will see me as a 'new' driver and possibly drive dangerously / or stupidly and impatiently around me. (As many do with leaner drivers). So I just got on with it without the P plates. I actually think it helped me, as I felt I was thrown in a bit at the deep end and to the outside world I was as good a driver as any.

Am I making sense? ?

WBGBS

Mine lasted two days and I took them off. I always found people took liberties when I had plates on, pulling out on me because they assumed as a learner/new driver they could get out at junctions/roundabouts, ect quicker than me. I found it safer without them TBH.

I'd be a little nicer to someone with P-plates, like if I could see they were trying to change lane or something I'd pull back a little to let them in, or be less likely to give them a loud blast on the horn if they are doing something a little stupid.

I'm surprised to hear you say that drivers are impatient and mean when you have L-plates. I have a tendency to be an impatient driver, but I generally am much nicer to obvious learners than other people.

I don't see the point of them either. You can only have two statuses* when you are behind the wheel - learner driver or fully qualified driver, so obviously those without L-plates are fully qualified.

*What is the plural of status?

WSS. I didn't have them but I didn't drive a car until 7 years after passing my test.

Thanks all.

I'd had similar thoughts about them being pointless and wondered whether other drivers would just treat me the same as a learner, which here is not good.

Bostongirl, maybe it's a London thing but people are definitely impatient with learners here - doing stuff like not giving you your right of way so that they don't get "stuck" behind you etc. White vans and taxis are the worst and there are a lot round here. Good to know that there are people who think like you though

I have just driven to Sainsbury's Greenwich and back on my own without incident so may take them off shortly ?

Where do you live?

Pointless IMO.

Bow. Why? Are you suggesting I should do a longer journey first?! ?

I'm always super nice to learners and P Plates.

I do think it's quite nerve wracking to be L plate free at first but it only lasts a few drives! I suppose P plates might give a slightly nervous new driver a bit of grace to find their confidence.

They're not pointless like BoB signs, IMO.

however I understand why you don't want them. London drivers are not patient. And white van men are vile everywhere you go (having LOTS of experience of them myself)

If you're confident enough to go supermarket shopping in greenwich, I'd give the P plates a miss, you don't sound like you need them!

Congratulations, btw.

I know Greenwich was wondering which journey youhad taken. I assume the Blackwall tunnel, well done you! Now ditch the plates and enjoy driving ?

Hmm, I can see both sides.

If I see someone with L or P plates, then I will make allowances where needed and be more patient with their mistakes BUT driving a car with L plates on (as I do every day) is like a red rag to a bull for some drivers. They will accelerate to within an inch of their engines life to pass me even if I'm not teaching and its me driving. When the weekend arrives and I take all the L plates off, I get treated like an ordinary driver which although you still get your fair share of bad drivers, its nothing compared to what I get with them on.

My pupils often ask me if I think they should use them when they pass and I always say only if you'll feel more confident with them and only for a few days. By then I would hope that they would have got used to not having someone sat with them and would just get on with it as any other driver.

Well done on passing your test though. I think your OH was just trying to offer support so if it was me I'd keep them on for a day or two, then let him know you feel ok to leave them off.

They're compulsory in NI for a year (although they're actually R's not P's)

Drivers displaying said are restricted by law to 45mph.

Congratulations on passing!

I think they're pointless too. I passed in March and OH bought me some P plates and got quite offended when I ripped them off. I can't see who wrote it, but I agree with the person who said that people with P plates come across as not being ready to drive on your own in which case they shouldn't have passed their test in the first place.

I disagree with that immensely. Driving for the first time on your own is nerve wracking and by no means indicates that you shouln't have passed your test. There has to be a first time for everything.

I don't see them as pointless - (some) new drivers are going to be hesitant. Just because someone has passed their test, it doesn't make them a confident driver.

I'd be far more inclined to be impatient with someone if they hesitated at a junction without P Plates, than if they did.

Personally I think they're a good idea (and compulsory in some countries) - at least until the driver feels confident enough without them. If a young/new driver feels they don't need them, that's fine too. I'm not insinuating EVERY driver use them, just those who feel like it might help give them a little breathing space.

I think It was me that said it, Its just a personal opinion but taken from my own experience, I passed my test, drove home from the test centre and then got in the car and drove to school on my own. Reason being I was a confident driver (dont read that as girl racer as that is so far from the truth) I understand people being nervous, bit I think the point I was trying to make is that you should have a certain degree of confidence (as well as ability of course) once youve passed your test otherwise the examiner wouldnt have passed you to enable you to drive alone. I dont know if that makes sense or not!

It makes total sense WT but I do think you are in the minority. Most people who have just passed their test have never driven anywhere without their instructor and although they may be a little nervous or lacking in some confidence, doesn't mean that they shouldn't have passed their test IYSWIM?

A lady I'm teaching at the moment is an excellent driver. She needs absolutely no input from me to deal with the most trickiest of situations but her confidence does not meet her abilities. Her test is booked and even after passing her mock test yesterday with 4 minor faults, she still thinks she's a crap driver. She is exactly the sort of person I expect will use (and benefit from) using P plates. If they give her a tiny boost of confidence, thinking others will be kinder to her on the road, then I'm all for that. She'll soon realise she doesn't need them.

WT, I fully agree with you, and I was one of the most confident passers ever having been around cars all my life, learnt to drive long before I was legally allowed to drive (off road), and couldn't WAIT to be independent from my parents.

BUT not all drivers are that confident. And for those of us who can be a little bit impatient when someone hesitates just that nano-second too long unnecessarily (in our opinions!), P plates might help.

I think it should be up to the individual driver. If they feel they need them, then they should make the decision to use them. Not their parents/partner/well meaning friend or relative.

Totally understand where youre coming from Nora. I suppose I was lucky in that I built my confidence by driving everyday when I was learning, Id have a lesson a week but my mum or grandfather would come and pick me up from school and sit in the passengers seat so Id have to drive home or if anyone needed to go somewhere in the car on a weekend Id drive and they would co-drive. I learned a hell of a lot from doing that, I expect most people dont have that luxury.

I agree with FN. I passed my test last year and am a confident driver, however ask me to park the car and my god I turn to jelly. Doesn't mean I can't drive I just have no confidence when parking.

My dad insisted I used P plates when I first passed my test and in my experience, other drivers were actually a lot nicer to me - I found they were much more willing to let me out at junctions and gave me more time generally, they weren't IMO as quick to beep their horns at me as I might have expected. I enjoyed it so much I think it took me 18 months to get round to removing them ?

I know I am much more patient with drivers who use them than I would probably be otherwise.

Peaches to be brutally honest, I didnt want to learn to drive, it scared the pants off me.... my grandmother MADE me have lessons, Im so glad she did as it was the best experience ever.

Whenever I see a learner driver I always act accordingly with patience as I think back to when I was learning, we all have to go through the process and it winds me up when I see prats overtaking, revving engines and tailgating learners.

I agree it should be up to the individual if they feel particularly nervous and not up to anyone else.

The way you learnt is one of the best ways to gain road experience and one of the quickest ways to learn to drive (assuming you don't pick up bad habbits ?) but its actually quite rare. I'd say around 10% of my pupils get good quality private practice between lessons.

Sounds like its got worse then...I learned to drive in London suburbia and never had issues with impatient people (that was 14 yrs ago though!)

Bad habits? I have no bad habits how dare you!? I only had 1 minor on my advanced test and that was resting me foot on the clutch peddle a couple of times (cant do that now as I drive autos)

Seriously though. I know that practice of just driving on the roads makes a huge difference, being aware of other road users and how other people drive can only be a good thing in the confidence stakes.

In that case well done WT! Personally I would have been driving at 10 just to give myself some parental respite! I had to settle at 17, and even then Dad took my rotor arm out to stop me driving off when it suited him ?

I was so keen to help Ethel pass her test (as I felt she wanted some respite too!) I would have driven from one end of Houston to the other to take her out for a few drives, but we'd not met at that point, so pushing myself on her would have convinced her I was going to make slippers of her! ?

?

I've always said that it's 'miles on the clock' that builds confidence

The more you drive, the more comfortable and confident you'll feel. Mr P's youngest daughter passed her test when she was 20/21, and now doesn't drive as she is in central London and doesn't need to, so even though she has passed, she would be/is a nervous driver now.

I love it when learners get in the car and start doing the whole leaving the hand on the gear lever, slip down low in their seat and rest their elbow on the window. I just look at them and say they are picking up dad/mums bad habbits and they immediately see what I mean ?