Refresher course or £1000 reward?
Discussion
I posted this on another thread, but would be interested in hearing opinions on periodic driver re-training or refresher courses.
To be honest, I don't think re-testing or re-training would make a great deal of difference to the accident rate. It sounds good in theory, but in practice it would just be another chore to many people. Do it then forget it!
I deffinately think we need a tougher driving test to start with though.
IMO, most accidents happen because people aren't concentrating on what they're doing. They may be competent drivers but fall foul of concentration lapses, or maybe some just don't cocentrate at all!
Can you teach someone to concentrate at all times? You can lead a horse to water...
As an example, I think HGV drivers are well trained professional drivers, but I've heard of many accidents involving HGV's, usually through nodding off at the wheel, possibly contributed to by the monotonous slow speeds they're limited to.
Also, highly trained and tested police drivers have accidents, albeit in less ordinary circumstances.
If I may think out loud for a moment... possibly if we could run a little test for one month, whereby any driver not involved in an accident could claim a reward of £1000 from the government, the accident rate for that month would plummet dramatically!
I know it's fiction and could never happen, but it would prove a point that actually making the effort to concentrate on the road when you're driving is what is needed!
People who don't usually care would find themselves taking their driving alot more seriously, taking an extra look at junctions, pulling back and not tail-gating, looking ahead further and reading the road etc. because they don't want to risk losing the 1K reward!
So, financial reward being unrealistic, how do you make people concentrate on driving and take more care to avoid collisions?
Training and courses may work on those who are already keen drivers, but not on the majority of A to B car users I feel.
To be honest, I don't think re-testing or re-training would make a great deal of difference to the accident rate. It sounds good in theory, but in practice it would just be another chore to many people. Do it then forget it!
I deffinately think we need a tougher driving test to start with though.
IMO, most accidents happen because people aren't concentrating on what they're doing. They may be competent drivers but fall foul of concentration lapses, or maybe some just don't cocentrate at all!
Can you teach someone to concentrate at all times? You can lead a horse to water...
As an example, I think HGV drivers are well trained professional drivers, but I've heard of many accidents involving HGV's, usually through nodding off at the wheel, possibly contributed to by the monotonous slow speeds they're limited to.
Also, highly trained and tested police drivers have accidents, albeit in less ordinary circumstances.
If I may think out loud for a moment... possibly if we could run a little test for one month, whereby any driver not involved in an accident could claim a reward of £1000 from the government, the accident rate for that month would plummet dramatically!
I know it's fiction and could never happen, but it would prove a point that actually making the effort to concentrate on the road when you're driving is what is needed!
People who don't usually care would find themselves taking their driving alot more seriously, taking an extra look at junctions, pulling back and not tail-gating, looking ahead further and reading the road etc. because they don't want to risk losing the 1K reward!
So, financial reward being unrealistic, how do you make people concentrate on driving and take more care to avoid collisions?
Training and courses may work on those who are already keen drivers, but not on the majority of A to B car users I feel.
gfun said:
Don't be too sure its called a 'no claim bonus' :-)
Ahh, mine's 'full no claims' and 'protected' so there's not much incentive for me not to have an accident
Seriously, I think insurance to many people (if they have it) is considered a necessary evil, many people even claim deliberately so as to get their money back.
I've never claimed on mine and have had max discount for a few years. Trouble is that hasn't stopped the premium going up every year at renewal! (yes I do shop around and screw them down) So all in all not much incentive really.
randlemarcus said:
What happens if you should happen to fail the re-test, cant drive to work, lose job, no money, cant pay mortgage, lose house, lose family, no this wouldnt work at all, good as it may sound.
Sorry Vipers, completely disagree. Fail the re-test, learn to frickin drive then.. Todays test isnt exactly rocket science, but does actually require that you understand why driving like a twonk is perhaps a bad thing and liable to keep you a virgin. Retests arent going to be IAM stuff, now or ever, so should be doable.
I agree with Vipers. Knowing the ins and outs of how to pass a re-test doesn't make you a better driver or a worse one if you fail. It just means you know the bullshit of how to pass a test!
Taking any kind of test will not stop people from driving like 'twonks' if that's in their demeanour.
Best behaviour for the test, then back to normal.
Why is insurance so high for young people? Shouldn't they be the safest because they've freshly passed their test? No!
volvos70t5 said:
So someone takes their DSA test, drives for 5 years and then needs a re-test.
The only reason I could see for a re-test would be if they had caused an accident, then re-test asap.
volvos70t5 said:
Perhaps we should just focus on those aspects of people driving that are genuinely unsafe i.e. too fast for the conditions (not the speed limit), harsh braking, severe accleration, course steering, poor observation, etc..
Things like hands at 10-to-2, indicating at all times, etc.. could possibley be dispensed with.
Thoughts?
If harsh braking and severe acceleration are genuinely unsafe, I should have been dead years ago!
Agreed poor observation could be improved with tuition.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff