To keep my L plates on a bit longer?

[2fast2upset]

I passed by driving test recently (1 minor fault) and have been learning over 2 years with lots of private practice. I am not perfect. I am a new driver. But I am not overly hesitant or nervous.

I have been amazed by the hideous driving behaviour I have experienced since taking off my L plates. People pulling out straight in front of me into very unsafe gaps and making me slam my breaks and cutting me up on lanes. I hadn’t experienced behaviours like this before.

Would I BU to keep my L plates on for another week just whilst I get a bit more used to driving solo? From what I understand the worst that can happen is the police will pull me over, ask for my license and ask me to remove them. There are no points or fines attached to doing this.

I am displaying P plates at the moment but it’s not making a blind bit of difference.

If you were in N Ireland you'd have R plates for a year after your test - which come with a 45mph speed limit...

To clarify, I meant take your L plates off, you can't legally use them now. And don't use P plates at all.

You aren’t a learner.

If a learner isn’t driving the car the learner plates should be removed.

So no. You shouldn’t be driving around with L plates if you aren’t a learner.

Don't use P plates is the message my daughters driving instructor gave.
Arsehole drivers see them and make impatient and dangerous manouvers as the P drivers are perceived to be slow, annoying and passive.

I'd be concerned that you'd be much more likely to be pulled over (because of driving solo as an apparent learner) which could get annoying. It probably won't be a 2 minute job to say: "I'm not actually a learner, honest" and get the police to go on their way - they'll probably be quite careful.

Unfortunately thete re a lot of a holes on the road. I don't think having L plates makes much difference to how they behave and if i saw someone driving alone in a car with L plates I would assume that the plates were for someone else and not the driver.
They say you learn to properly drive after you've passed your test and a part of that is learning how to get used to the idiot drivers I'm afraid.

If someone is paying enough attention to notice the L plates they’ll notice you’re alone and therefore not a learner.

P plates are pointless.

You shouldn’t be on the road alone unless you’re able to drive safely, that includes reacting appropriately to poor driving from other road users. It’s annoying yes but if you’re not coping I suggest a pass plus course until you get your confidence.

YABU. My dad always said you pass your test, then you learn how to drive.

Unfortunately, this is driving.

Are you driving a different car? E.g. does your husband take you out in a SUV and you're out alone in a Fiat 500? You possibly will notice a difference.

Take the L and P plates off, but sounds like you need some more driving experience with your dad or husband to get your confidence up

No need to be rude, we’re only trying to help sorry I replied

this is what I found as well.

being in a car turns some people into arseholes unfortunately. you will get used to it. also as you become more confident, your driving will be more confident and deter some of the arseholery. but as a woman, I have found that a lot of male drivers think they can bully female drivers unfortunately.

No, same car. Mid size SUV.

I don’t need more driving experience with a supervisor- I’m fine.

i have only been driving solo for a few days. I need to get my confidence up in driving alone.

Agree

I wasn’t being rude at all.

But it isn’t helpful to reply to posts when you haven’t read them! It was best you didn’t reply at all if you are going to skim through them. You may give someone dangerous advice one day if you try and help without reading the problem.

She wasn't rude at all, she was perfectly polite. You'd pointlessly said something that was clearly in the short OP.

I can react safely? Where did my post say otherwise?

I just don’t really like having to adjust to this arsehole behaviour when I am literally in my nascent days of driving. It’s quite mental to have had two years or private practice and now I am completely free.

I was going to keep them on another week- not indefinitely.

It’s not illegal to keep the L plates on but it’s a bad idea, not least because you’re liable to be pulled over if police see you on your own with L plates.

I think you just need to get used to what driving is like tbh. L plates are neither here nor there.

Perhaps get 2 sets of P plates instead of the one you have.
Would draw more attention with 2 on front and 2 on back

You aren't supposed to drive with L plates if you've passed.
And I recently taught my ds to drive and found that with L plates, you can get awful behaviour - tailgating and overtaking, which we haven't got as much with the P plates on

Definitely take the L plates off!

we don’t use P plates where I live and whilst I didn’t find other drivers too bad, it did take a while to get used to drivers driving a lot closer behind me - I hadn’t realised that as a learner, other cars were giving me some space, until they weren’t giving me that space anymore! It is unnerving at first but best to just crack on with no plates I think. You’ll get used to it in time.

I’m taking time from my day to reply very nicely to her. I missed a small part of the op and she speaks to me as though she’s a teacher speaking to a pupil ignorant woman

I tend to give P plate drivers more room and cut them more slack for driving over cautiously… or stalling 😂 but I have 2 teens who learned to drive recently so it’s more relevant to me.

DD said she had a higher volume of morons around her when she used the Ps though (getting cut up a lot!) and she said it’s better since she took them off!

I'd echo others who are saying ditch the P plates. They're pointless and other drivers will ignore them. Don't replace the L plates either. My son's driving instructor advised him not to bother with P Plates.

The reason you're seeing a lot of bad driving is probably because you're driving on different roads and at different times to when you were learning to drive. For you, it's the "new normal" that you just have to get used to. It's not that you've removed the L plates!

And you're now suggesting you're doing a huge favour by replying. So sorry you couldn't spare the time to read the whole post instead of just the first line in your hurry to be Lady Bountiful. Us peasants will be more grateful in future.

Catch yourself on. I took time from my day to politely reply to you. I missed a small part but gave good sound advice - you’d no right to reply like that ignorant

I would remove the P plates, as others have suggested, and see how you get on. Some arsey drivers will assume someone with P plates to be slow/nervous. Those with L plates may be assumed to have dashcams/an instructor present so might stop some bad driving.