Cheque OK?

No. Better training AND speed limits.

I’m not arguing against limits for the reasons you suggest, I’m arguing that the priorities are arse-backwards.

I mean a stationary object at the limit of your line of sight. Obviously. But why engage brain when the usual sarcy comments can be rolled out.

This has been said numerous times but is always pissed on. It’s the whole driving to the conditions point – it might me safe to do a ton over Rannoch Moor on a dry day with full visibility but forty round a sharp bend further up is way too fast. You could find cyclists or a broken down car on the road. But hey, you weren’t “speeding” when you hit them.

Molgrips- same people who will get dogmatic rather than look at something dispassionately.

The reason there is so much focus on speed..

Is that it’s one of the easiest ways to reduce RTC’s & improve road safety.

What bollocks! 😯
Speeding counts as primary causal factor in 4% of KSIs, so you’re not addressing the cause of 96% of serious accidents.

Putting a plaster on a scratch on your forearm will do **** all good when you’re bleeding out of your femoral. 💡

There is a straight line of decay of KSIs over the years, and increasing speed enforcement has had no effect on that straight line.

How exactly did you form your opinion? It’s not one that can be concluded from the facts.

As brought up in most other threads on this subject, I believe mandatory re-tests or refresher courses would be the place to start for improving driving.

Serious negligent behavior that results in death should come with a lifetime ban. Minor infractions could fall under points / fine. The more serious, but not fatal incidents should result in a re-test with stricter parameters for passing.

On top of this, five yearly mandatory refresher courses for driving and skill improvement would be implemented. It’s all moon on a stick, but would be better than the current situation. All in my opinion of course.

Agree but how often would they have to be. How quickly do people start to drive badly after passing their test as would need to be at least at that interval. Monthly re-tests!

I’d go for after two years for new drivers and then every five. Not ideal, but at least it would be proactive and maybe convince people to stick to a higher standard knowing that they have to, at some point, prove to an examiner they are still capable of driving. Perhaps make it random to keep people on their guard.

My wife used to be an instructor and do advanced driving courses too. She says one of the most infuriating things was trying to instill situational awareness in teenagers. She’d spend time explaining why regular mirror checks, looking ahead, planning ahead and being extra cautious in residential areas are paramount. Only for the kids to arrive at the next lesson spouting “my dad says not to worry about other cars, nothing wrong with speeding to make progress” etc

How do you tackle that? When kids are learning selfish, idiotic behavior at home.

I’d go for after two years for new drivers and then every five. Not ideal, but at least it would be proactive and maybe convince people to stick to a higher standard knowing that they have to, at some point, prove to an examiner they are still capable of driving. Perhaps make it random to keep people on their guard. [/I]

We’ve done this previously. It’s a 4 month wait around here for a test, and somehow you’re going to increase capacity 30-40 times?

Approximately 1m people take the driving test pa and we’ve 45m drivers (own a licence).

Also interesting that 50k were banned (in a year), so 1%pa.

There are many thing I don’t want the “ball-ache” of but making roads safer is hardly what many of us term a “ball-ache”….

Why would they not be safer drivers?
Why would they not learn something?

Your facetiousness just undermines your point & strengthens mine.

Thanks!

As I said, moon on a stick. I definitely think the test should be more difficult and more involved.[/I]

The Russian driving test is harder than ours, doesn’t seem to make a difference – maybe because it’s not the answer, just another ‘easy answer’?

What do you think the answer is? Genuinely curious about other people’s ideas and views, no matter how far out they may seem.

That would be a great idea. Showing people what it’s like on cycle, motorcycle and progression from there would help build empathy and show people how vulnerable these road users are. Now we’re getting somewhere. Less arguing, more theories on improving skills 🙂

I’d retest only those who’re involved in a crash or who get points above a certain level (I’m thinking 6-9 and then every time after that)

and after a couple of times they’d have to pass an advanced type of test – and/or mandatory black box or something

Resulting in the depopulation of rural communities as young adults wouldn’t be able to get to/from education and employment. That’s the problem with all these good suggestions, individually they look great but the knock-on effects could be devastating in other, unintended, ways.

FWIW I’m in favour of compulsory telematics and dashcams with tougher penalties.

Because by and large everyone is wrong, me included.

I am regularly assessed on the standards of my driving at work, together with the rest of my colleagues, it’s not like a driving test at all. It’s more akin to the test I did to get my C1 category, testing your wider observational skills, knowledge of the regulations and your reaction to situations. Has it made me a better driver? Definitely. Should everyone have to do something similar every 5 years or so? I think so, yes.

To use your example of straight-A students, they may have the basic knowledge but need to be coached into how to use it effectively, pointing out any bad habits at the same time.

I can’t believe we’re all on here arguing for/against further driving skills training when we are all generally happy to accept that the best way to get better at riding a bicycle off-road is to pay decent sums of money to spend a day with someone like Jedi! Make a mistake on your bike and it’s usually you who comes out worst, make a mistake driving and you can potentially kill multiple people. The culture of the car has skewed the priority of the population, even the cycling community.

Not me.

Makes it compulsory and personal beliefs on skill level don’t matter. There is always room for improvement.

Are there any countries that do not have speed limits and if so does this reflect in accident and fatality statistics?

That’s the frustrating thing. I fully understand your point of view, but there are too many individuals (zanelad from a few pages ago for example) that would just travel at ridiculously fast speeds irregardless of weather or road conditions.

Public transport improvements, cycling, Mopeds, motorcycles, ebike etc. We have this weird, everybody should drive, culture that needs to be addressed for the sake of the environment if nothing else.

Sorry, I’m working on the Jambourgie staggered test approach whereby you have to pass muster on two wheels before four. Should have really outlined that.

I’d be interested to know how many people pass their test and then just drive distances that are easily covered by other methods. I know a couple of people at work who only drive to work and back, to the shops etc who live within walking distance of both. Not saying they shouldn’t be allowed to, just curious as to what percentage of traffic on the road those sort of journeys are?

+1

I often use the motor to nip down to the shop which is 300m. But it’s the weather thing. In summer, I’ll happily wander down in my shorts, but I’m not getting all wrapped up to go out in the howling beastliness when I don’t have to.

I also occasionally exceed the limit if appropriate to so, or the whim takes me.

Ah, confession feels good 🙂

In mitigation: In summer I barely use the car. It’s just that the weather doesn’t suit my clothes so I use the car in winter.