UK drivers and driving tests.

[Tex]

Ok, so i have read threads about cars and that are made too fast and other threads commenting on peoples styles of driving and thought it would be interesting to have some views...

I believe that the UK drivers are the WORST in Europe, lane discipline is dreadful and the use of signalling even worse, i would like to see much harder tests and conditions being introduced.

Rather than telling people how to drive 10ft round a corner or do a 3 point turn (which, i don't know about others, but i rarely have to do) is to give people a sense of how to control a car if it ever comes into difficulty, i.e if sliding on a wet road / oil patch, lessons in harsh weather conditions, maybe on a skid pan / maintaining a vehicle properly, i drive all over Europe and they are SO much better than us - what else could be done to improve our driving abilities?

[waynne]

Something like the IAM test should be compulsory. I've seen some dreadful driving in Italy, Rome and Paris. Look at the dented cars around and compare this with abroad. I don't think we do to badly.

We should also have a retest every 5 years to keep the roads clear of the shy, nervous and downright dangerous drivers who cause a hazard to all others on the road.

Germany does have a very high standard of driving, as does Austria and Switzerland.

[pgarner]

i think more has to be added to the test like you said more driving conditions - wet snow ice etc, even m/way driving. there is some maintenance in the test now with the snow and tell, but it checking tyres, oil and water levels.

BIG fines for middle lane hoggers, and a minimun speed limit should be in place - depending on road conditions

a basic test every 5-10 years should also be put in place along with a major test at 50 year old

[Tex]

[quote=pgarner;49908]
BIG fines for middle lane hoggers, and a minimun speed limit should be in place - depending on road conditions
quote]

Couldn't agree more...

I know what you mean Waynne, but my main gripe is M'way driving, grrr some people really do not know that the middle lane is an over taking lane, not just a 'i feel safe so this will do and sod the miles of traffic behind me lane'

[pgarner]

part of the problem with m/way hoggers is that its not part of test but covered in the pass plus which is optional.

so you could have a driver pass his/her test without really going over 40mph on single lane roads suddenly having to drive on 3-7 lane motorways at 70.
one of the wifes mates was like this she passed her test coule of weeks after me, it was only this year that she first ventured onto a motorway (5 years) simply because she lacked the confidence to drive on it

[Tex]

Originally Posted by pgarner

part of the problem with m/way hoggers is that its not part of test but covered in the pass plus which is optional.

so you could have a driver pass his/her test without really going over 40mph on single lane roads suddenly having to drive on 3-7 lane motorways at 70.
one of the wifes mates was like this she passed her test coule of weeks after me, it was only this year that she first ventured onto a motorway (5 years) simply because she lacked the confidence to drive on it

A lot of women do lack confidence on motorways, or even when driving in the rain, some people although have passed their test, hardly drive, maybe only a few times each month, which really isn't good enough and these are the people that cause accidents, never mind the people you see that seem to cram about 15 people in their Micras lol

[waynne]

I have long thought that low mileage drivers should pay HIGHER premiums due to the lack of practice they get.

[xavier]

New drivers should have lower speed limits on roads or be limited to the power of thier cars.

[pgarner]

Originally Posted by xavier

New drivers should have lower speed limits on roads or be limited to the power of thier cars.

How do you enforce this ? Police are already, supposedly, overstretched. it has came up before in another topic, and think it might have been me that agreed with it. but for instance what do you do if the car doent have badges on it ? for example lets use the boy racers favorite corsa b it can come in 1.0 up to a 1.8 with many getting swapped out to 2.0 turbo. whats to stop them going and sticking a 1.2 on the 1.8 ?
same with the speed limits how would you feel if your going to get pulled everytime you went over 50mph, just incase you were a younger driver ?

[steve09]

Originally Posted by Tex

Ok, so i have read threads about cars and that are made too fast and other threads commenting on peoples styles of driving and thought it would be interesting to have some views...

I believe that the UK drivers are the WORST in Europe, lane discipline is dreadful and the use of signalling even worse, i would like to see much harder tests and conditions being introduced.

Rather than telling people how to drive 10ft round a corner or do a 3 point turn (which, i don't know about others, but i rarely have to do) is to give people a sense of how to control a car if it ever comes into difficulty, i.e if sliding on a wet road / oil patch, lessons in harsh weather conditions, maybe on a skid pan / maintaining a vehicle properly, i drive all over Europe and they are SO much better than us - what else could be done to improve our driving abilities?

Ahhh dont get me started on peoples bad driving.

so many people seem to want to overtake me WHILE GOING ROUND A ROUNDERBOUT even when I start signeling to turn off, so I have to drop a cog and put the hammer down to stop them hitting me (I always ALWAYS signel) or pulling out without signeling.

a little example,(this happerned to me on my bike) the other day I was riding to my brothers past a long row of parked car, they were parked so there was only room for one car to get down the remaning road, me, doing 30mph in the wet AND dark, get halfway down the row of cars, and some complete idiot who should not be in charge of a car IMO pulled out to do a U turn, without signeling OR having lights on. Q me loading the brakes as much as possable, put a bit much rear on and then it locked up, slid towards the kerb but I managed to keep the bike going along the road upright, slowing GRADUALLY but sideways, the looser in the car just looked at me coming towards him sideways, and just sped off the way I was going without putting his lights on.

really, Its people like this who should have there licence revoked for endangoring others.

I do agree that there are SO MANY people who just cannot or should not drive passing there test, like people who think its good practice to follow a bike on L plates about 6 inch off there rear wheel (again happerns to me) so I just flash the break lights a few times and they seem to get the idea.

Would you just walk out into the road without looking to cross or would you look both ways to see if its safe?? (unless theres an underlying issue there) YES you would. so why do people not look before pulling out.
REALLY annoys me.


rant over

[HDi fun]

Insurers already do this by making the premiums for quick cars very expensive for new drivers. Unfortunately this doesn't solve the whole problem because some drivers feel that it's reasonable to drive without insurance anyway.

[waynne]

Didn't someone post up the Australian system of plates which you progres through from L Red to a Green P which limits the speed the driver can go at. It seems a good way to police this but as HDI says the faster cars are denied to the young through premiums (unelss they have a rich Daddy!)

[pgarner]

or mummy and daddy insure it for anybody to drive.
did you see top gear last night ? it was going on about the Finnish driving, it takes 3 years as well AND at least 3 lessons in the skid pan.

some insurance companies want to change the way insurance works has anybody else heard this ?

basically it comes down to mummy or daddy buying a car for the kids to drive and insuring it in their name with the kid as a named driver, however the parents might never drive it
but like HDi said that many drive without insurance so its not going to matter

[HDi fun]

I would do this:

Dispense with the traditional road tax disc and add the cost to fuel. Add another duty to road fuel to cover a central fund which provides all drivers with the compulsory 3rd party indemnity.

If you want to take additional cover for your car or for injury to yourself then this can be done the traditional way through an insurer.

That way no-one can drive about without 3rd party cover.

Some argue that it'll create a black market for fuel. I doubt it somehow. There's little chance of landing a 20 million gallon tanker ship and distributing the contents across the country without someone noticing.

[waynne]

The problem with that is that the Third party risk is spread equally effectively with the safer drivers subsidising the dangerous ones. It will mean the careful pay more and the reckless are paying less overall towards the most costly part of insurance.

I do agree with the road tax being combined in fuel. Big thirsty cars and high mileage drivers pay more. But hey isn't tax on fuel high enough already?

Plus the tax disk is a motivation for people to get insured. Remove this and there is no longer an indicator that the car is taxed and MOT Tested.

[waynne]

Hasn't a tanker just been hijacked? Very topical.

[pgarner]

yeah $50 million worth of crude oil, but like HDi said were do you land it ?

[HDi fun]

I hadn't thought of that Waynne - it would indeed mean safer drivers subsidising the plonkers. If road tax went onto fuel then it's probable that my bills would go up. But my wife's would go down so it kind of evens out. It would also benefit the 2000 miles a year pensioner who want's to drive an XK8 but doesnt fancy the £800/year road tax.

As for insurance and MoT, those that do this will gradually be weeded out with NPR cameras simply by the forecourt being connected to the DVLA. It could then automatically enforce a 'no insurance - no petrol' arrangement. All without the intervention of the cashier.

[turbonutter69]

Originally Posted by HDi fun

I hadn't thought of that Waynne - it would indeed mean safer drivers subsidising the plonkers. If road tax went onto fuel then it's probable that my bills would go up. But my wife's would go down so it kind of evens out. It would also benefit the 2000 miles a year pensioner who want's to drive an XK8 but doesnt fancy the £800/year road tax.

As for insurance and MoT, those that do this will gradually be weeded out with NPR cameras simply by the forecourt being connected to the DVLA. It could then automatically enforce a 'no insurance - no petrol' arrangement. All without the intervention of the cashier.

That could be a good idea Hdi. But on the test issue you can tell or teach someone everything about driving but i believe it's the persons attitude towards driving that causes bad drivers. You may know everything about driving but if you've got a bad attitude and don't respect other drivers thats when accidents an such happen...

[HDi fun]

I am still learning to drive and I passed my test 21 years ago.