New plans to overhaul driving tests, including changing the age and using satnavs (1 Viewer)

[motor roamin]

Or maybe as in some states in the US where 15 year olds can drive on certain routes.... not saying 15 year olds here but maybe if they pass their test a 17 year old between specified points on approved routes at fixed times????

Many states also ban new licence holders from driving after dark until they have held their licence 12months

 

[Ivory55]

People say about being to young to drive etc etc, but what was the average age of spitfire pilots. Were they to young ?

 

[MR. FUSION]

I think rather than increasing the age to 20 before you can sit Your test, I think it would be better to insist on new drivers having a black box device. This would monitor your driving. If your Totally rubbish , your barred.
If your drivings not up to scratch , up the insurance.
If your good and safe, your insurance is lowered.
It's wrong to tar all young drivers with the same stick. Just like it is old age pensioners.
In fact I think they should have The black boxes for old people too. That way , driving teqnique is monitored Saving Having medicals.

Trouble with a black box is it will be to late when the driver has injured or killed someone. And or somebody on motoring forums will be giving out info on how to nutralise the box. Best keep them off the roads in the first place.

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[MR. FUSION]

People say about being to young to drive etc etc, but what was the average age of spitfire pilots. Were they to young ?

A lot of them were killed and they had a frighteningly short life expectancy. QED.

 

[Ivory55]

Yes but they was trusted with a lot of responsibility in the first place.

 

[pappajohn]

No they would learn to use public transport and not mommy's and daddys car and bank account.

Yeah, right.

How about a young builder transporting 300 bricks, 5 bags of sand and two of cement on the number 11 bus.
That is not a practical answer.

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[vwalan]

think rick said it all. i believe every child should take national cycling proficiency course . at 16yr old m,bike or as it is now moped test at 17 m,bike test . etc etc . certainly think larger motor home vehicles require a further test. unfortunately the car test is nothing like a psv or hgv test . shame it would make for far better car drivers . we all need as much knowledge on the road as we can get . age isnt a problem . its bad driving that is the problem . we all make mistakes we all arent innocent . but training by good professionals helps . i wasnt trained by rick or his staff but understand training should be top priority.
i,m a biker . if training stops bikers being killed i,m all for it . same with all vehicles .

 

[MR. FUSION]

Yeah, right.

How about a young builder transporting 300 bricks, 5 bags of sand and two of cement on the number 11 bus.
That is not a practical answer.

Well if and when the govt put it up to 18 I am sure they can help out with an answer

 

[motor roamin]

Trouble with a black box is it will be to late when the driver has injured or killed someone. And or somebody on motoring forums will be giving out info on how to nutralise the box. Best keep them off the roads in the first place.

I agree a black box is not the answer, but neither is keeping them off the road, proper training a change in attitude and a change to initial entitlement may go a long way to improving driving standards.

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[MR. FUSION]

I agree a black box is not the answer, but neither is keeping them off the road, proper training and a change in attitude

OK well neither of those is going to happen for a hard core of youngsters.

 

[Billy23]

The " put up the age" thingy has been going on for at least 15 years, when I retired as a driving instructor over 10 years ago, they had been "talking" about it for over 5 years. I doubt it will happen this time either.

I note the comments in this thread and all have some merit......BUT I wonder how many could pass the Theory and practical test of today.

Yes, I know, we are all the best driver.........

 

[Puddleduck]

Leaving aside the questions of how it will affect rural areas etc I think anyone under the age of being legally able to drive should qualify for a concession on public transport - so under 17s should get a discount now and if the age goes up to (say) 20 so should the concession. Won't happen but it would help.

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[motor roamin]

think rick said it all. i believe every child should take national cycling proficiency course . at 16yr old m,bike or as it is now moped test at 17 m,bike test . etc etc . certainly think larger motor home vehicles require a further test. unfortunately the car test is nothing like a psv or hgv test . shame it would make for far better car drivers . we all need as much knowledge on the road as we can get . age isnt a problem . its bad driving that is the problem . we all make mistakes we all arent innocent . but training by good professionals helps . i wasnt trained by rick or his staff but understand training should be top priority.
i,m a biker . if training stops bikers being killed i,m all for it . same with all vehicles .

As you know Alan I am passionate about proper training, I agree with the above also, but not always practical, the powers that be have known for many years the test needs an overhaul and we are part of most consultations, though I doubt we will be for cars, they listen agree then come up with all the reasons it can't be done, read between the lines and it's always cash, there is a chronic shortage of examiners at present, normally it's about two years from start to finish to become a qualified examiner, my fear is they are now muting fast track, will this mean a pass when it should be a fail ?

In the time being We will continue to go that extra mile to turn out drivers and not someone who can drive, there is a difference.

 

[motor roamin]

The " put up the age" thingy has been going on for at least 15 years, when I retired as a driving instructor over 10 years ago, they had been "talking" about it for over 5 years. I doubt it will happen this time either.

I note the comments in this thread and all have some merit......BUT I wonder how many could pass the Theory and practical test of today.

Yes, I know, we are all the best driver.........

Well I am the first to admit I am not the best driver, I still make mistakes do daft things, and yup I should know better but the perfect driver hasn't been born yet.

Hopefully I could pass the theory, but then again we are one of a handful of driving schools that actually does a course on it to put meat on the bones so they understand rather than be a parrot, having said that 50% of the theory is rubbish and could be so much better, 70% of the car drivers I have in the class that are under 35 some with 17 years car driving experience don't even know what a wheel brace is a bigger % have no idea what over run is, basics that all car drivers should know, as for the Highway Code the amount of people that don't know the sign for national speed limit much less know what the limit is.

 

[vwalan]

yes , rick, there was the white paper a few years ago about mot,s in the end they have now given all pre 1960 vehicles exemption . does make you wonder i have a copy of the paper here . you know me i had it sent due to the exemptions . even before the pre 60 they had to agree there was 40,000exempt vehicles on uk roads and they couldnt ever mot them due to mot stations and ministry stations being too busy. but the cost of the talking and the meetings was incredible . jobs for the boys and girls .
as we know soon there will be a system breakdown . when ?be interesting to know , but it will happen .
i understand where your coming from . i used to teach cbt for bikers . have helped loads of disabled bikers etc . dont know the answer but good training is important . i dare say many on here dont know disabled can drive cars at 16 yr old with the right training . and there are alot out there .

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[motor roamin]

yes , rick, there was the white paper a few years ago about mot,s in the end they have now given all pre 1960 vehicles exemption . does make you wonder i have a copy of the paper here . you know me i had it sent due to the exemptions . even before the pre 60 they had to agree there was 40,000exempt vehicles on uk roads and they couldnt ever mot them due to mot stations and ministry stations being too busy. but the cost of the talking and the meetings was incredible . jobs for the boys and girls .
as we know soon there will be a system breakdown . when ?be interesting to know , but it will happen .
i understand where your coming from . i used to teach cbt for bikers . have helped loads of disabled bikers etc . dont know the answer but good training is important . i dare say many on here dont know disabled can drive cars at 16 yr old with the right training . and there are alot out there .

Oh bugger that brings back memories a pall of mine was a polio victim had one of those blue two stroke things when he was 16.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I'm surprised we haven't heard from somebody from the institute of enlarged adenoids yet, they usually have some smug self satisfied BS to spout about how rubbish we all are and how wonderful they are after doing a little course.

 

[vwalan]

Oh bugger that brings back memories a pall of mine was a polio victim had one of those blue two stroke things when he was 16.

now its cars . much safer.

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[Wildbill]

No they would learn to use public transport and not mommy's and daddys car and bank account.

My gran son doesn't use mummy and daddy bank account pays every thing his shelf is a fantastic driver holds down three jobs.
Not every family is born with silver spoons in there mouth and he is not a isolated case hard working teenager who with out his car could not contribute to the economy.
bill

 

[motor roamin]

I'm surprised we haven't heard from somebody from the institute of enlarged adenoids yet, they usually have some smug self satisfied BS to spout about how rubbish we all are and how wonderful they are after doing a little course.

Don't start me on them, their perfect we have interviewed two instructors who were members neither passed the practical interview which we conduct in a truck with the worst trainee............me one even started shouting at me for doing exactly what he told me to do which was take my next left.........I did.........a 44 ton Artic turned next left sainsburys car park they were not amused caused chaos...........when I asked him how do I get out of this he couldn't tell me, the first thing any instructor learns is to give correct precise directions.

 

[busby]

Well having just sat in a classroom for five seven hour days to gain my CPC I know for a fact that every LGV driving test centre in the country has been closed and run out of private driver training premises. As for only 50% pass rate that seems very high considering the way a lot of new drivers drive. Sat navs, what about being able to hold a phone to their ears or texting, most could do with some training on that to cut the amount of fatal accidents on our roads!

Don't know about new drivers,,,some very useless older ones...BUSBY.

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[busby]

Bad move. The age should be lowered to 60 with a compulsory re test every year.

Think that should apply to many younger drivers...Yearly test would not bother me but would be impossible to do...Not enough examiners. BUSBY.

 

[busby]

I think rather than increasing the age to 20 before you can sit Your test, I think it would be better to insist on new drivers having a black box device. This would monitor your driving. If your Totally rubbish , your barred.
If your drivings not up to scratch , up the insurance.
If your good and safe, your insurance is lowered.
It's wrong to tar all young drivers with the same stick. Just like it is old age pensioners.
In fact I think they should have The black boxes for old people too. That way , driving teqnique is monitored Saving Having medicals.

Black box for everyone,,,,,BUSBY.

 

[motor roamin]

Black box for everyone,,,,,BUSBY.

Not for me thanks, nothing to do with driving standards, purely on the fact we have enough big brother already, if information gathered on us whatever it is was secure maybe not so much of a problem, but it isn't, personally and it's just that we are controlled more than enough already, vauxhall/GM on star system (which I had in the USA) knows where you have been what speed you were doing and when you have covered x miles it generates a letter telling you a service is due on your vehicle, too much information stored that can be misused sold etc, I have nothing to hide but strongly believe a law abiding citizen has the right to privacy.

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[Daifuse]

Talking of learning and re-testing whatever the outcome, IMHO it should encompass a simulator beforehand as an indicator of a level of competence.
Despite having a full motorcycle licence, quite rightly I had to do time in a simulator before the RAF let me loose onto the nursery area in a car, (Moggy 1000 Traveller), in 1974. I also had to suffer on a skidpan to learn about both lack of , and regaining control of a vehicle. It was quite a good experience in the `sim` and on the `pan` although I did feel queasy when I was a passenger in the back. I know also that my experience in riding my motorbike helped with awareness of surroundings.
Driving in Lincolnshire nowadays isn`t for the faint hearted or those who are unaware of their surroundings given increasing casualties this year.

One of the most contributary reasons for the increased number of motorcycle accidents recently, blamed on older riders returning to 'bikes after years and not used to the power of modern machines has to be the total deprivation of awareness of surroundings by modern'full face' helmets. Wearing one of these tends to isolate you - you can't hear properly and your peripheral vision is limited, both of which are essential to be a safe and responsible rider.

 

[buttons]

I do hope they do raise the test age. 17 is way to young to be responsible for a driving a car IMHO. And certainly a bike like power graduation should be a minimum too. But certainly sounds like some action is being taken. The test age should be raised to 20 IMHO and any major infringements means an automatic year or more ban. We need to move from seeing driving as a right to a privilage.

A privilege for whom, those who can afford it..those who have an iq over 120. How about a height limit, we all see every day some drivers having difficulty seeing over the wheel especially Asian women, what do you think, ban all those below 5'4" too?.
Reading through this nonsense brings a smile to my face every last post preaching it's own selfish personal view. I think things should be left well alone, the accident rate, fatality and serious injury rate all a fraction of what it was.
Not sure why I bother to read this nonsense.

 

[MR. FUSION]

A privilege for whom, those who can afford it..those who have an iq over 120. How about a height limit, we all see every day some drivers having difficulty seeing over the wheel especially Asian women, what do you think, ban all those below 5'4" too?.
Reading through this nonsense brings a smile to my face every last post preaching it's own selfish personal view. I think things should be left well alone, the accident rate, fatality and serious injury rate all a fraction of what it was.
Not sure why I bother to read this nonsense.

Thats fine until a 17 year old puts their car into you or a loved one, which statistically they are much more likely to do.....and as you can probably guess it has happened to me , then people tend to change their views.

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[gus-lopez]

Anyone who uses a car & thinks that it is for getting from Ato B should automatically be disqualified from ever driving. It is a vocation; what you should be living for;An enjoyment that brings a thrill & sense of satisfaction every time you get behind the wheel. Anything less should be walking . As I was taught , anything less than an 8 mile journey is wasteful of resources & the people should be walking/using public transport. ( That'd probably reduce journeys alone by 50% )
Accidents are nature's way of keeping the population to a reasonable level. We need a huge reduction in the population to be able to drive without being inconvenienced by cyclist's & pedestrians.

 

[buttons]

Thats fine until a 17 year old puts their car into you or a loved one, which statistically they are much more likely to do.....and as you can probably guess it has happened to me , then people tend to change their views.

There are good and bad drivers of every age genda and creed. Sorry to hear of your personal situation but the same could have happened through a plethora of situations other than age alone. Personally I would sooner be driven by a good 17 year old than a bade 45 year old.
Driving within your capability is the main factor in good driving some drivers never show signs of improvement and some are fast learners.
Condemning every 17 year old because you were unfortunate enough to witness a bad one who was driving beyond their means is in my opinion a tad short sighted.

 

[MR. FUSION]

There are good and bad drivers of every age genda and creed. Sorry to hear of your personal situation but the same could have happened through a plethora of situations other than age alone. Personally I would sooner be driven by a good 17 year old than a bade 45 year old.
Driving within your capability is the main factor in good driving some drivers never show signs of improvement and some are fast learners.
Condemning every 17 year old because you were unfortunate enough to witness a bad one who was driving beyond their means is in my opinion a tad short sighted.

Thing is the situation with young drivers is so bad the govt is being forced to act, so there have been enough bad ones to create that situation. Size and race in your example is less of a factor in deaths and injuries than age.

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