The vast majority of people of overseas origin who are registered to drive in the UK have learned and passed their test here in the UK.
And all the other arguments about this. I’ve been mulling it over carefully before replying. 🙂
Now, weather someone (Anyone) has passed a UK test or not means only one thing – They drove well enough to satisfy an examiner for 1/2 an hour. Which, to be fair, isn’t that hard. Drive slowly and obey the law and you’ve cracked it. And the habits any older immigrant grew up with die hard, very hard. And like it or not, once they have a license, there’s a good chance they’ll slip back into their old ways.
And there people who make poor drivers: You know, you see a car in front driving in a certain way, and you say to yourself “Ahh. That’ll be a XXXXXXXX [from XXXXXXX]* driving like that” and sure as eggs is eggs, you’re right.
Drive for long enough, and you develop a 6th sense about it, like a copper has a nose for sniffing out criminals…..I certainly have. Ask Mrs PP – We’ll be in the car together, and I’ll say – “That bloke’s gonna pull out in front of you” And then he does. And she looks at me all funny, wondering how I know…
And it was only when I went to India earlier this year that I understood why I see fair amount of (Generally older, granted) Asian people driving like they do. It’s not not something that overly bothers me, I’m quite chilled when I drive generally, but it’s something I noticed, a connection I made. Realisation if you like.
They have a ‘style’ shall we say?
Elfin mate, you don’t drive do you? You just won’t notice it like I do, you won’t make that connection because you’ve never needed to, but it exists, honestly it does. 🙂
*Could be cabbie [from London], sales rep, young mum [on school run] old duffer, truck driver [from Poland] or any person from any country, an Italian, an Aussie (They really ARE bad drivers too!), or indeed an Indian from India.