Young Drivers.

J

joinerjohn

In the news today,,,, some think tank or researchers are today calling for the introduction of graduated licences for young people passing the driving test.
One stipulation is no driving at night time or when it's dark, as young people are more likely to have an accident whilst driving during the hours of darkness.

My own view of this ? How on earth would these young inexperienced drivers gain the night time experience?.
The research done, apparently takes no account of who caused the accidents which new drivers are involved in at night. For all the researchers know they could have been caused by some 40+ yr old drunk on his way home from the pub.
Perhaps they should make night time driving lessons compulsory?
Perhaps local councils should provide better street lighting?

What's your view of this?

Cheers
JJ ;) ;) ;)
 
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I dont know what driving lessons consist of today, I passed my test in the year dot.
But I think the driving lessons should be part on ordinary town roads, motorwy driving and of course night driving.
 
I agree with this - it seems ridiculous that until you pass your test you are not allowed to drive on a motorway, be it with an instructor or another qualified driver, and yet the moment you pass your test you can drive all you like on them with no experience and no-one else in the car. The first time i drove on a motorway after passing my test, my dad insisted on coming with me!! Driving at night and in bad weather (although its difficult to fix the weather) should all require some level of experience before you're allowed to do it alone.

I think in general they should make the test harder to pass, and i think they should prevent young drivers driving on some relative's insurance policy to avoid high insurance premiums (yes, i did exactly that when i passed my test!) and there should be a limit on the engine size/power until you've had x years of driving experience. Stricter punishments for accidents (if fault is proven) and convictions within 12months of passing your test. I'd also stop people learning to drive with non-qualified people, you learn with an instructor or you don't learn.

I think (generally) the quality of young drivers has fallen since i passed my test - and that wasn't all that long ago.

There should also be more restrictions at the other end of the scale too. Once you pass a certain age there should be checks to ensure you're still safe to drive. Luckily my grandfather realised himself when he was 70 that he wasn't safe anymore and surrendered his licence, but i'm sure there are many who are completely oblivious to how unsafe they are to be on the road - there was a prime example on 'Traffic Cops' a couple of weeks ago!!!
 
In my teenage years I had loads of different motorbikes I was a skilled rider but never took a test, I always renewed my provisional license. A couple of months ago I thought of buying a bike and becoming a born again biker.
I looked into it but knocked it back due to the expence and the complexity of passing a modern day bike test, might get an electric bike though.
 
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Interesting. I for one have always felt the need for new drivers (just passed their test) to have further driver training for motorways and night time driving.
I know they now have the pass plus thing where a driving instructor takes them on the motorway etc, but night time driving with an experienced instructor would be beneficial.

I also think there's a case for setting up absolute beginners centres ( perhaps on disused airfields etc) so that absolute beginners can at least get up to speed before taking further lessons on the road. No more kangaroo petrol and stalling at the traffic lights. ;) ;) ;)

Having said that, it's only because there's a driving test centre within a half mile of where I live and we get almost all of the beginners on our local roads. ;) ;) ;) ;)
 
John - there used to be one of these near me - i think it was on an old airfield and you could go from the age of 12 - don't think its there anymore though?? My dad taught me the basics of clutch control before my first lesson, off the public roads but otherwise the only driving i did prior to passing my test was with a qualified instructor.

The pass plus thing is a good idea, but as far as I'm aware its not compulsory - and i'd like to bet the take up rate from newly qualified young drivers is very low. I don't know if it was available when i passed, but I wouldn't have even considered doing the pass plus anyway!!
 
If you think deeply enough you should come to the conclusion that for a driving instructor to take a complete novice on a public road it is fraught with danger, to take a novice on a disused runway is an excellent way of learning them how to control a car.
I am saying this after seeing a grandson of mine slamming into a lamp post on his very first lesson wrecking the car, he later passed his test first time. I passed mine second time round.
 
They should have 9 points on their first licence. Then they get a ban for the first infringement - but instead of a ban they should have to sit a difficult retest.
It's the boy racer idiots flying around corners at high speed that need educating.
 
Night time driving, bad weather driving?
Why not just make it that they can only take a test when there is 6 inch of snow on the roads, then? Oh, and at night too.

Should really reduce the number of drivers taking and passing their test.
 
Night time driving, bad weather driving?
Why not just make it that they can only take a test when there is 6 inch of snow on the roads, then? Oh, and at night too.

Should really reduce the number of drivers taking and passing their test.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
 
Joe, I think there already is some regulation that if you get points on your licence within 12months of passing your test you do have to re-take the test. But, as you say, a more difficult test should be used, because for someone who's been driving 6months, passing the same test again shouldn't be too difficult - but the way they drive on the test may well bear no reflection to the way they normally drive.

Also, its possible to cause an accident by driving badly, but if there are no witnesses, it'd be difficult to prove it was dangerous driving and therefore they'd get no points? A friend of mine rolled his car (front to back as well :eek: ) within 6 days of passing his test - with no comeback at all - no witnesses and no other cars involved.
 
Anyone passing their test should have to have a policeman in the passenger street until they (the driver) reach the age of 45.

If they are 45 when they pass their test they should have a police officer in the car until they have been driving for 18 months.

Double all of the above if they are female. ;)
 
an amalagamation of the new zealand, austrailian, german and scandanavian tests and driver education/control seems to be the best way for me.


the thing i hate is double standards. i see plenty of police vehicles and driving instructors driving in the most unbelieveable ways. if they can't be bothered to get it right then the kids have no chance.
 
Women are the worst for going through red lights.
 
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