New Driving test

[Arun]

I was good enough to pass my test, just not mature enough to drive a car.

same here

i passed last november and smashed my car 3 times in the first year.

i did 14hrs of lessons and passed my test first time

if there was a 200 lesson minimum id have a motorbike and drive a car without a license. this would also affect my career choice aswell - im not gonna pay 200 X £40 plus the test fee just because i want to be a mechanic, id be in a job i fcuking hate instead.

although i do think the test should be made harder and they should cover maintaining/owning a vehicle and push the point that its YOUR responsibility as the driver to make sure your car is roadworthy, also simple stuff like how to put the spare wheel on and check brakes- its not enough to just know where your dipstick is.

one point 'they' made i agree with was something about young boys being the best at passing yet the worst at crashing - i can drive perfectly when with a customer/collegue/relative but on my own i sometimes drive like a w4nker - this is 100% my fault but no amount of lessons is going to stop that - nor will it stop new drivers thinking they are better then they are.

[cardaft]

I had 11 lessons/hours and passed first time, ive been driving nearly two and a half year and had no accidents or convictions of any kind.

So its not all down to experience, a lot it to do with attitude, which more lessons carnt really change, people can still drive how they like when the pass and they would still have to learn from the mistakes they make.

My first car was a Citroen AX to keep the insurance low and build a bit of experience, only had that 3 months and decided i wanted something better, so i got my 1.0 Arosa. And i dont drive slowly, im just careful.

I think leaners building up more experience before they pass is a good idea, i think thats what is happening in france if not now then soon.

But it sounds quite pricey, and as has been said before more people will drive without a licence and insurance than currently do.

Edited January 4, 2007 by cardaft

[Petes 16V Sport]

hmm I think whatever car you drive, its the attitude to driving that has to change. If you drive stupidly in any car, no matter what power, you will crash eventually, and you may be injured/killed.

I'm not sure limiting the power would make a lot of difference, most people I know who have being injured or killed were driving 1.2 corsas, 1.25 fiestas, 1.1 saxos? not exactly powerful really.

Also by limiting the power your limiting young drivers to base models, which have less safety features usually, worse brakes, worse tyres, and generally are inferior at keeping themselves on the road compared to the higher models in the range when being driven badly.

The reason I say this is that since I passed my test near to my 18th birthday, the first car I drove before the loop was my mums daihatsu sirion SL - its only a 1.3, but puts out 101hp, in a car that weighs 850kg, so it was quick for such an unexperienced driver at the time... quicker than my sport now and happily for me had an 8500rpm redline style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> (official stats say 0-62.5 9.6 seconds, i'd say it was closer to about 8.5)

Now I didn't crash it, but I did do some silly things, curbing a alloy is one thing ill never forget, or never do again! The thing that really changed my attitude to driving is when I scared my mate so much she cried. That really changed me.

Another thing about my mums car is its better set up than a lupo, the brakes weren't as strong but had EBD and brake assist which meant when I put my foot down to brake for a deer that jumped out in front of me, it stopped quickly and safely, when I did the same in the lupo to avoid a van overtaking a cycle when I was travelling in the opposite direction, the back end was sliding from side to side thanks to no EBD (just ABS) on sports. Luckily by then I had being driving for a year and a bit and knew what to do but it could have being a lot nastier if i'd have had the loop from when I past my test.

Another thing about lupos is that round a tight corner the back end will sail out, for an inexperienced driver this could seriously challenge them, if they didn't apply enough opposite lock.

So I think a better option for the driving test would be to make the year from 17 to 17.5 a time when you can just learn, then from 17 1/2 you can take your test. Include 3 hours motorway tuition with a registered instructor as something you have to do to pass. And perhaps although this may be inpractical to carry out, a day at a safe driving centre, where you get taken round a simulated road (like a track) with a specialist instructor, simulate rain etc etc.. and practise what happens when you skid, what happens when the brakes lock, what happens under heavy braking etc etc... all the time obeying the laws of the road and give people a pass or fail based on that. Yes it would increase costs, but the cost would be nothing compared to a 100hrs training with an instructor!

Secondly maybe making traction control, EBD and brake assist compulsory on all cars wouldn't cost the manufacturers that much (traction control I believe is £200 a car out of the manufacturers pocket perhaps less) and in years to come, significantly reduce lack of control accidents in which most young people are injured or killed.

Anyone agree or am I talking crap?

[cardaft]

No your talking sense style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" />

I agree, some good points there.

But im not sure if teaching people what a car is like at the limit, hard braking etc, will improve things all that much, it may encourage some people to drive harder and faster because they know how to handle the car better.

But i can see the point that if someone is going a bit fast and have to act quick then they would know what to do.

Chris

Edited January 4, 2007 by cardaft

[Linz]

And perhaps although this may be inpractical to carry out, a day at a safe driving centre, where you get taken round a simulated road (like a track) with a specialist instructor, simulate rain etc etc.. and practise what happens when you skid, what happens when the brakes lock, what happens under heavy braking etc etc... all the time obeying the laws of the road and give people a pass or fail based on that. Yes it would increase costs, but the cost would be nothing compared to a 100hrs training with an instructor!

Anyone agree or am I talking crap?

I agree with this! Sounds like a good idea. And not too impractical as long as there were plenty of them around the country to solve both travelling distance and long waiting list issues.