Drive Tests - overhaul needed?

Hecateh · Foundation Stone Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2006

Should there be an overhaul of driving tests?
A father whose 16-year-old daughter was killed in a car driven by an 18-year-old has told the BBC he wants to see the driving test scrapped.

In its place, Terry Jones wants a longer programme of continuous assessment.

He says learners should have to log 200 hours of driving with an older motorist before they can take a car out alone.

Should the driving test be scrapped? Do young drivers need more road experience before going out alone? Is the driving test in need of an overhaul?

_________________
“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
- Ziggy
Made my 1000 miles walking in 8 months rather than the year of my target. Woo Hoo.

dragonfly · Pioneer Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 1507 Location: Wales

I believe age should be risen to 21, and maybe 5 yearly tests or somthing.
I think its daft giving teenagers the rights to a machine that can kill, then tell them they can drink a year later!!

4 teenage girls were killed just up the road from me, a young 17 year old lost control of the car on a mountain road while he wasshoing off...
Its happened alot around here latley.

Too many youngers are dying on the road because they are showing off. If they didnt have a car until they were at an age where they can be responsible. Lets face it children grow up more imature these days than ever before thanks to the total lack of punishment.

Davbro · Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 3:38 pm Post subject:

Something needs to be done, raising the age to drive or longer assessment, I do not know the answer.
What I do know is that now alot of older school pupils go to school in a car, most teenagers over the age of 18 have a car, there are lots more cars on the road now and they go alot faster than they used to.
For these reasons I believe the driving test should be overhauled.

dingsy · Site Admin Joined: 11 Feb 2007 Posts: 2106 Location: Devon

Agree that something needs to be done at the young end of the market, where car possesion is so often an accessory to lifestyle. Realistically-how many 17 year olds need to drive to school?!
However, the other end of the spectrum is worrying too. Not sure how widespread it is,or if I'm aware of it more through living in Devon (high proportion of the population is retired/elderly).As a pedestrian, I'm continually aware of dangerous/distracted driving among the elderly. I now refuse to cross a road unless there is no car closeby. Not only a danger to themselves, but to other road users in general, the elderly too contribute heavily to road accidents.
I don't question that many of those driving have a lifetime of experience-at times blemish free-but the roads are a far more aggressive place nowadays, and the "Sunday afternoon" brigade are a cause for serious concern.
Returning to the youngsters, as Dave said, cars are now so powerful that more/longer supervision should be necessary.But- Our son started driving at 17, had his own car from that age, and is a sensible, mature, courteous road user. He chose to do the advanced driving course/test, which concentrates on hazards/safety/motorway driving. Maybe the "advanced", should become the standard test, thereby making obtaining a license sufficiently difficult to raise standards to a safer level.

dragonfly · Pioneer Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 1507 Location: Wales

Dave I take it you saw about that death crash court case in the news so you know which one i was referring too.

Elaine, oh yes the sunday drivers are awful, and cause so many problems. I had one reverse into me in tescos last week (in my new car argghh).
he was so frail im suprised he could turn the wheel of the car.

I honestly beleive the driving text is harder and more difficult now than it has ever been. But the attitude it wrong. Studants are taught how to pass the test, not how to drive. I mean, my friend just passed her theory. I asked her if she had read the highway code, she laughed and said no, she studied a Q and A sheet on the internet!!! I mean whats the point.... she never even picked up the books on the rules of the road to pass!

Also.. after i passed my test, my driving instructor informed me that it is very dangerous to feed the wheel above 30 mph.... but he has to show me that for the test!!

dragonfly · Pioneer Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 1507 Location: Wales

[quote="Hecateh"]Should there be an overhaul of driving tests?
A father whose 16-year-old daughter was killed in a car driven by an 18-year-old has told the BBC he wants to see the driving test scrapped.

This guy is the dad of one of the four i was mentioning.... go on guys, you can say it .... im quick aint i!!!

Hecateh · Foundation Stone Joined: 10 Feb 2007 Posts: 2006

I'm very much in favour of an overhaul of tests - although I'm not quite sure exactly how. A minimum number of hours with a qualified driving instructor would be a start.

I also think a 'P' plate until a person is 25 would be a bonus, only driving low powered cars (unless supervised by a person of at least 30).

One of the things I think would help though would be to allow kids to get hurt more as children. That may sound daft but when kids aren't allowed to ride their bikes on the road because it is dangerous they don't get an idea of traffic sense. They aren't allowed to climb trees so they don't learn that if they do something stupid they have to take the consequences. Too many (not all) kids are over-protected and then suddenly at the age of 17 and sometimes after only a few hours behind the wheel of a car they are put in control of the biggest killing machine in the country - and to add to the fun they can fill the car up with their mates who are distracting them and may well add to the pressure to go faster etc.

Oh and whilst I whole heartedly agree about the elderly drivers (see posts earlier this year about my mum driving) her renewing her insurance after not driving for 18 months was totally straightforward and cheap. With all the research I did the evidence is that, even allowing for fewer miles driven etc, elderly people have fewer accidents and are actually a good insurance bet - I still don't think they should be allowed on the road at that age though without written evidence that their eyesight, mobility and reactions are still up to scratch.

_________________
“You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”
- Ziggy
Made my 1000 miles walking in 8 months rather than the year of my target. Woo Hoo.