When to give up P plates?

[Meckity1]

I was thinking of having P plates for a year, but a lot of friends have been telling me to get rid after a few months.

I've been driving around 4 months, getting quicker out of junctions, still terrified and lacking confidence on dual carriageways and motorways.

Now! If you've passed your test, you've been deemed road worthy. You should be driving like everyone else.

Keep them on as long as you need to. Your friends aren’t the ones driving. If I see a car with L or P plates I’m more patient and give them space.

After yesterday's entertainment, when I had to have seriously quick reactions, and seeing the dogs dinner some people have made in Tescos carpark, I'm better than a few.

But I am still lacking confidence when it's strange roundabouts, still struggling at changing lanes. I thought a P plate is fair warning to other drivers.

NB When I was doing driving lessons, we didn't really cover changing lanes, and I can do it, but I find it scary.

@Pipandmum thank you for being patient!

I think it's only fair to warn people so when I hesitate in a strange area, they know it's because I'm lacking experience.

On the regular routes, I'm fine.

But I am still lacking confidence when it's strange roundabouts, still struggling at changing lanes

Refresher lessons may be more helpful.

We are in Australia and have great laws . I think ( please someone correct me) that you have to do 50 hours on L’s before you can take your test. Unless you are 16 when you start driving and then you have to do a year on L’s. So really easy to do your 50 hours. Then you are on red P plates for 6 months. In this time you have restrictions on passenger numbers and night time driving.
Then you go on Green P plates for 6 months, before you go to your full license.
I would keep P plates for 6 months

I never used them. They can make you a target for knobs.

Take them off, have a couple of lessons for your confidence and then just drive. Don't worry about every other driver on the road, just get on with it.

Changing lanes is changing lanes. Check, indicate and move over when you can.

@bernietaupinspen I've had a couple of lessons on motorways with my instructor, but he's poorly at the moment. It doesn't help that I live near the M62 Junction 27 - there's some sort of incident there on the news most mornings, which is intimidating.

@Aebj that sounds like a great idea. I've already driven at night during lessons, but not where there are no street lights.

It's the school holidays, and I learned to drive to do the school run, so I'm making a point of going out every other day at least and driving a few miles. Next week we'll be aiming to go through Huddersfield town centre, which will be an adventure. Lots of lanes and stuff.

I'd have problems in Australia then I learnt to drive partially due to my shift pattern. I had a job where I had shifts start a midnight/ finish at 2am and no public transport at that time!

@QuestionableMouse I always feel the P plates are useful for someone stuck behind me who are fretting that I should go at that gap (my little car won't make it from a standing start) and let's them know that I'm inexperienced.

There are a lot of kind drivers on the roads, in my experience.

@springtime12 I know, I had a load of lessons at night. I found it okay, because you could see the lights and it wasn't so busy.

I think you need to get your confidence up rather then expect people to second guess your driving based on P plates

It's not your job to worry about what the driver behind is thinking though. Focus more on your own driving and less on what the people behind you are thinking.

I always take a bit of extra care with P plate user and am not a knob driver who targets them. Gives a good indication for other drivers that the new driver lacks experience and confidence. The experience is FAR more important than the confidence.

So keep them for a year and build that experience. Confidence comes with experience. Confidence on its own can be deadly

Passing your test is just the beginning of learning to drive and becoming a fully competent and confident driver.

Unfortunately you will still come across people who are deluded and thought they were perfect drivers as soon as they passed their tests. Over confidence on roads as a new driver, when you think you know it all, is more dangerous than under.

Keep wearing your P until you feel ready, it won't be respected by all the impatient drivers but most drivers are more considerate.

Thanks for the replies.

I'm fine on the normal run, I do it four times a day in term time, for around 200 miles a week. It's in new places and changing lanes. I'm aiming for a new place every week.

I'm also practising parking everytime I go to the supermarket. Doing okay at that.

I dont agree with them,
never used them,
agree, target for knobs

you have passed, you are good enough

I got rid of mine after just a few weeks even though I could have still benefited from the patience of other drivers on occasion. The reason for this is I live in a high crash for cash area and they target new drivers with their P plates as they're an easy target. ☹️

Next week we'll be aiming to go through Huddersfield town centre, which will be an adventure.

If you can do that you don't need P plates, I've been driving over 30 years and that is one route I don't like. Fortunately my relatives have moved so I don't need to navigate it any more.

Goos luck.

I do agree that lessons on the areas you find scary is the solution, not P plates. It's great that you're taking yourself out and about to build your confidence and experience.

I'm struggling to understand how the P plates help with that. Or what you expect from other drivers?

If I'm sitting behind you at a junction silently frustrated that you didn't pull out when I might have done, how does that affect you? What difference do P plates make?

Some people are jerks, regardless of L or P plates. I particularly enjoy being beeped at for not pulling out in front of other cars and getting myself killed. I've even been beeped at for having the audacity to indicate, and then slow to an appropriate speed to safely make the turning I'd indicated. Clearly outrageous of me.

You have to learn ways to not worry about what other drivers are thinking or get flustered when somebody gets arsey with you.

I see some cars with P plates on where I wonder if the person driving is actually the person who the plates are for, and some where the standard of driving is so positively terrifying I wonder how they passed a test. And you have no idea if they passed their test yesterday or two years ago but are holding onto the plates a a safety net. It's so unpredictable I'm more wary of cars with P plates than L plates.

At least with L plates everyone knows what that means. Some people put P plates on their car as a way to celebrate passing their test, some because they were given them by worried parents, some as an excuse to drive dangerously, and some because they want other drivers to do something different...

My DSs have both passed in the last year or so, we have a set of p plates but they've used them sparingly and for a short time. First couple of days in New car and first time driving up a single track road on a hill in the hope that people would give them a bit of priority in terms of letting them come up rather than expecting then to reverse back down. I wouldn't use them for your normal driving now OP but if it makes you happier to have them on longer journeys then that's fine but definitely try to get a few extra lessons.

Never used them. They’re a target for arsehole drivers

@sashh I had a few lessons after I passed my test and one of them was my instructor getting me in to the middle of Huddersfield and then getting me to navigate my way out just using the road signs. I was fine, apart from worrying about changing lanes.

I've done all sorts like reversing back down a hill due to double parking and bus (never had to reverse up a hill for any distance), I've parallel parked uphill, I've driven in fog, heavy rain and wind. I've been through Halifax town centre and past Leeds IKEA (will have to do IKEA again soon as it scared me half to death and I nearly ended up in Hull). I can do sharp turns, tough hills and single track. I don't have huge experience, though, and in tricky situations I thought that P plates may tell another driver that they may have to take the initiative. My car is also a 1litre and while she's nippy, she can't shoot out at roundabouts when the traffic is fast.

Also, I live in Leeds, and if I go near Bradford then I'm at the mercy of Bradford driving. Even the traffic police don't like driving there. I suppose I should ditch the P plates for near there.

Lots of comments about P plates leading to negative behaviour in other drivers. “A target for arseholes” etc What does that mean? That they rev up beside the new driver and shout/peep at them or what? I’ve never seen that in any driver around a P plater ever. If drivers are arseholes they are not going to drive worse than they currently do because the driver in front has a P plate? I don’t understand what they would do that would be bad for the OP?
I’ve always kept well back and been more patient behind a P plate than I would someone without an obvious sign that they are an inexperienced driver. But then again I’m not usually an arsehole driver?
Do you have Pass Plus courses where you are? Helpful for more experience as they cover bad weather driving, night, motorway, rural, urban driving to help with confidence.

Hadn't driven for years - took some refresher lessons. Spoke to a policeman who advised against using the "P" plates. His opinion was that they made you a target.
Your confidence will come with time and experience.
Enjoy the freedom and independence your car will give you.
Happy driving!