Motors Learner Drivers should learn for 12 months?

In Northern Ireland you have to display R (restricted) plates for a year after passing your test, you are also restricted to 45mph. it was introduced into NI as a trial back in early 70's and it was supposed to be introduced into the rest of the UK. Due to the amount of elections (and changes of government) back then, this law was never introduced in the mainland.

Now the RAC et al, want to remove the R restrictions in NI, as they say that the slow driving is actually a menace to other car drivers.

I personally think that people that wear hats whilst driving should be banned for life - they're either usually spotty youths or old gits and both are dangerous

 

Yes, all forms of driving require concentration, and yes, motorway driving is not 'easier' per se, but if you can handle roads in town and dual carrigeways then you are probably ready for the motorway. IIRC most motorway accidents are caused by mechanical failures rather than driver error, and if you think about it if something falls off your car at 70+ you are much more likely to come a cropper than if it does it in town...

 

Indeed, I've recently passed and had advice to stick my P plate on from one person, then not stick them on from the next person. You're treated similar to if you're in your tutor's car, i.e. some people give you a wide berth, others think that it'd be best if they get in front of you as quickly as possible. It's six of one, half a dozen of the other.

I hadn't done any motorway driving prior to actually going on one on my own and I found it okay. I'd been taught to check mirrors/blind spot, etc so I felt okay. If I couldn't get from behind a lorry chugging along then so be it. Yes, it was a bit hairy at first, but I kept my wits and survived!

I think you are restricted (as such) to 6 points on a new licence these days for the first year or two, is that right?

late edit: Just noticed.. 2000 posts!

 

It would be a far better idea to scrap this concept of being able to take your test as many times as needed until you finally manage to pass, it's amazing that people can take and fail their test numerous times and yet are still given a license when they finally manage to scrape through. You should be given a couple of chances to pass at most then be required to wait a set period of time and show proof of having taken further lessons before you can sit another test. And i'm sorry but if anyone gets into double figures for the number of times they've sat the test they should be banned from driving permanently, they are clearly incapable of driving a car safely.

They should also introduce a two stage test, the first stage would be essentially what we have now and then the second stage would incorporate what is taught by programmes such as pass plus. Introduce restrictions until you have passed the second test e.g. no driving on motorways, restricted speeds etc.

The other thing they really need to do is introduce a renewal system for driving licenses. It's crazy that you get a license and then are never tested again until you hit 70 i think, it should be mandatory to take a test to renew your license every 5 to 10 years altho this need not necessarily be as extensive as the test to obtain your license. It just needs to show that you are still capable of handling a car and are aware of current driving laws.

 

What I have come to realise is that driving lessons have nothing to do about learning to drive, it's all about learning to pass the test.

There seems to be more idiots on the road now than ever, there are young drivers that are literaly clueless when it comes to road sense.

 

Basically what i meant earlier. So yeah i agree. Good points.

I find motorway driving easier than in a busy town. Simple as that. So all the silly comments like i'm the type of person to avoid are just that, silly.

 

Very much so. It's the same as most forms of education (GCSEs, A-levels etc) in that you're learning how to pass a test or exam to prove you can be vaguely competent at something.

 

One of my friends dad is a driving instructor and he had a client (a bloke in his 40's) that had in excess of over 200 hours in the car, and failed his test well over 20 times. In the end he said that he could teach him no more and made him find another instructor.

I think you should only get 5 attempts at passing your driving test. Then auto-ban with appeal after say 12 months.

 

There are oldies too though.

 

Thats a bit harsh if you ask me. My girlfriend passed on a 3rd time, she failed the first two not because she couldent drive safely, but because of her nerves.

 

Nerves are no excuse in my honest opinion. FYI, I passed on my second test, my first test was void (neither pass nor fail), because the BSM corsa broke down.

 

Nope. A vast majority of accidents are caused by user error. Something is more likely to have mechanical failure and cause a serious accident at high speed, but the chances are your car will just grind to a halt rather cause a pile up.

Young Drivers often take undue risks, that goes hand in hand with youth. If they drove in the same style as older people then only a few would crash from inexperience. Old people who havent taken a test in 50 years and who's reactions are shot to **** need to be taken off the road. The RAC is right in that people who drive too slow cause just as many problems: old people. Of all the near misses (where I wasn't the pleb) in my last 9 months MOST have been from old people into me.

Of course nerves are a big factor!! But if you're so nervous you fail you shouldnt be on the road either. I'll freely admit at 17 is was too young to have appreciated driving but at 23 in a little older and a little wiser and touch wood havent hit anything yet.

 

I disagree here I have a friend who has now passed on 7th try why? because he changed instructor first 3 times was with one then another 3 with another all while having lessons so then he switched again to this brilliant one and then he passed (which im going to use) its not all down to the person...

 

Yes it is, he should have known he wasn't ready.

 

But people dont learn to drive because they have the time to leisurely take up the activity. It's not like "oh, dont worry, i'll come back to it in 6 months", it's usually: "I need it for job/family/etc" without the luxury of time.

 

QFT.

That britains worst driver programm really wound me up. getting some old woman (Maurine?) who had taken more tests then it would seem possible, purely because of her complete lack of any sort of driving/observational skill, and getting her on the road!

I hope the Exec who came up with that brainwave has to pay for all the damage and casualtys that she causes with his life, possibly his family's too (I'm a bit hard line here, but I feel if you cause danger to somthing you deserve it right back).

Pottering around the roads for a year with an instructor isn't going to teach you any more then however long it would take naturally... They are training the driver to pass the test, not drive... there is only one way to learn that personal experiance and that requires the instructor firmly outside the car.

 

Then you had a poor instructor. I was taught to drive, then I was taught how to pass the test. I passed my test. I had my first "BMW incident". I can now 'drive'.

 

How can you know when your ready, at the end of the day your instructor should be the one telling you when your ready because he knows a sight more about whats required to drive safely than a learner would.

My instructor is absoloutely brilliant, my girlfriend referred me to him because the first 3 driving instructors she was with were absoloute garbage (all BSM instructors), she swapped over to Martin from Learn and Go for her last test and boom, passed it easy as pie.

I started out driving with my mum as I couldent afford the lessons for as many hours as neccesary, I am now driving with my instructor, I've had 6 lessons and I'm nearly ready to book my test, go figure.

 

Deathrow, I'd have to agree with Xen0' on this one. I knew when I was ready to take my test and lo and behold I passed it. Unless you have very poor observation skills you can tell when you are driving at a high enough standard to pass your test IMO.

 

Assume all other drivers on the road are idiots (they usually are)... I am overly cautious but with people who show some sort of wierd trait (i.e. they turn funny or the car fidgets, I back off pronto).

And who ever says motorway driving is easier than town driving are too young and naive.. I'm been driving 7 years and no accidents.

I'ved lived in central london for 5 years with a car, i've lived in the countryside for years driving along B-roads, i've commuted for years between the midlands and london on the motoray and i've had a job recently where I was daily commuting between Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.

Motorways imo are far more dangerous than town driving, the amount of times some idiot brakes in the inside (overtaking) lane from 90 down to 65 because he spots an ambulance is beyond me!!! no care for the cars following. People undertaking, people who constantly speed up, brake and speed up; people who lane hog... I could go on, but there are a raft of idiots who think it's easy to drive on the motorway and so turn off their brains throw away the highway code because they are on one.

In town people are aware and drive relatively safer because they know they have to watch out for a lot more. On the motorways, it's usually people like the above who say it's 'easy' who switch off because they think they can and cause the danger.. i'm always more aware of my surroundings on the motorway than in town.