Should driving re-tests be compulsory?
Poll: Should driving re-tests be compulsory?
Total Members Polled: 302
Discussion
Should driving re-tests be compulsory?
In short, my answer is yes. And here’s why.
Justification:
With the roads getting ever busier, it is simply more important that drivers are good drivers and know the rules of the road, and are able to drive in a sensible considerate way.
As the number of road users increases, by sheer percentage this means there will be more bad drivers and less considerate drivers on the road, by forcing a re-test periodically it would help break bad habits and keep people informed of changing regulation.
When a driving licence is issued to someone who hasn’t taken the UK driving test (immigrant), then a periodical re-test would force them to actually understand UK roads to a better degree.
-Remember the UK is fairly unique in the entire world on how our road network works, in terms of lane usage, the side of the road we drive on etc. Passing a test in another country may well prove someone’s competence behind the wheel, but it does not demonstrate an understanding of UK roads.
For some incidental proof of “bad driving habits”, browse the PistonHeads forums and see how many threads and posts relate to people misusing fog lights, headlights, lane discipline, overtaking, etc, etc. Mostly due to ignorance and bad habits more than anything else.
Proposal:
-First re-test should occur 5 years after taking your driving test when you gained your full driving licence
-Thereafter a retest should be mandatory every 3 years
-If you are granted a UK driving licence without taking a driving test, then you should require a re-test every 3 years from the point you are granted the licence
Structure of the tests:
-The test should be both practical and theoretical, although there should be no written part of the test.
-The test should solely be conducted in or around the subject’s vehicle being used to undertake the test.
-The test should concentrate on safe responsible road use, driving and awareness.
The Examiner should assess the persons general car control and road conduct on a given course or route (chosen by the examiner). This should include road position, hazard awareness, speed awareness, physical car control and use of the steering wheel, pedal, gear change, indicators, etc.
This should take 20-30 mins of driving time or until the examiner is fully satisfied.
The examiner should conduct a basic eye sight test.
The examiner should also ask the person under test to demonstrate how they would check the roadworthiness of the vehicle; specifically in regards to checking tyre tread depth and damage, lights and indicators, oil level, coolant level, washer fluid level.
The theory side should consist of the person under test answering correctly, explaining and understanding the following:
-Lane discipline on dual carriageways and motorways
-When and why the use of fog lights should be considered
-How to perform an overtake manoeuvre on a single carriageway road
-Spot test on a random selection of traffic signs
-Yield rules for roundabouts
-Safe driving distances from the vehicle in front
-What affects rain, snow and ice have on driving and driving conditions and how a responsible driver should react to them.
There will be a nominal mandatory fee to pay for each re-test.
Conditions:
-It is mandatory to pass a driving licence re-test.
-Should you fail, you must take re-test within 4 weeks of the fail to a maximum of 4 consecutive re-tests.
-If you fail the re-test this will not remove your right to drive or affect your current driving licence, only that you must take another re-test within 4 weeks to a maximum of 4 consecutive attempts.
-Should you fail 4 attempts consecutively then your licence should be demoted to that of ‘Provisional’ status and you would be considered a ‘Learner Driver’ with all the restrictions forthwith.
-It should be regulated that failing the re-test should have zero affect on insurance premiums or liability in the event of an RTA/RTI.
-However should you be demoted to provisional status, then you would be required to notify your insurance company accordingly.
The expectation is that there should not be anybody holding a current valid driving licence that is not capable of retaining it. Therefore there should be little need to demote a driver to provisional status after failing their first re-test, however there should be some provision made for extreme cases where this is justified.
Remember the aim of this would be to make the roads a safer more pleasant place with a higher percentage of good, capable and considerate drivers. Not to prevent people from driving.
In short, my answer is yes. And here’s why.
Justification:
With the roads getting ever busier, it is simply more important that drivers are good drivers and know the rules of the road, and are able to drive in a sensible considerate way.
As the number of road users increases, by sheer percentage this means there will be more bad drivers and less considerate drivers on the road, by forcing a re-test periodically it would help break bad habits and keep people informed of changing regulation.
When a driving licence is issued to someone who hasn’t taken the UK driving test (immigrant), then a periodical re-test would force them to actually understand UK roads to a better degree.
-Remember the UK is fairly unique in the entire world on how our road network works, in terms of lane usage, the side of the road we drive on etc. Passing a test in another country may well prove someone’s competence behind the wheel, but it does not demonstrate an understanding of UK roads.
For some incidental proof of “bad driving habits”, browse the PistonHeads forums and see how many threads and posts relate to people misusing fog lights, headlights, lane discipline, overtaking, etc, etc. Mostly due to ignorance and bad habits more than anything else.
Proposal:
-First re-test should occur 5 years after taking your driving test when you gained your full driving licence
-Thereafter a retest should be mandatory every 3 years
-If you are granted a UK driving licence without taking a driving test, then you should require a re-test every 3 years from the point you are granted the licence
Structure of the tests:
-The test should be both practical and theoretical, although there should be no written part of the test.
-The test should solely be conducted in or around the subject’s vehicle being used to undertake the test.
-The test should concentrate on safe responsible road use, driving and awareness.
The Examiner should assess the persons general car control and road conduct on a given course or route (chosen by the examiner). This should include road position, hazard awareness, speed awareness, physical car control and use of the steering wheel, pedal, gear change, indicators, etc.
This should take 20-30 mins of driving time or until the examiner is fully satisfied.
The examiner should conduct a basic eye sight test.
The examiner should also ask the person under test to demonstrate how they would check the roadworthiness of the vehicle; specifically in regards to checking tyre tread depth and damage, lights and indicators, oil level, coolant level, washer fluid level.
The theory side should consist of the person under test answering correctly, explaining and understanding the following:
-Lane discipline on dual carriageways and motorways
-When and why the use of fog lights should be considered
-How to perform an overtake manoeuvre on a single carriageway road
-Spot test on a random selection of traffic signs
-Yield rules for roundabouts
-Safe driving distances from the vehicle in front
-What affects rain, snow and ice have on driving and driving conditions and how a responsible driver should react to them.
There will be a nominal mandatory fee to pay for each re-test.
Conditions:
-It is mandatory to pass a driving licence re-test.
-Should you fail, you must take re-test within 4 weeks of the fail to a maximum of 4 consecutive re-tests.
-If you fail the re-test this will not remove your right to drive or affect your current driving licence, only that you must take another re-test within 4 weeks to a maximum of 4 consecutive attempts.
-Should you fail 4 attempts consecutively then your licence should be demoted to that of ‘Provisional’ status and you would be considered a ‘Learner Driver’ with all the restrictions forthwith.
-It should be regulated that failing the re-test should have zero affect on insurance premiums or liability in the event of an RTA/RTI.
-However should you be demoted to provisional status, then you would be required to notify your insurance company accordingly.
The expectation is that there should not be anybody holding a current valid driving licence that is not capable of retaining it. Therefore there should be little need to demote a driver to provisional status after failing their first re-test, however there should be some provision made for extreme cases where this is justified.
Remember the aim of this would be to make the roads a safer more pleasant place with a higher percentage of good, capable and considerate drivers. Not to prevent people from driving.
Mr GrimNasty said:
Ludicrous costs/unmanageable numbers involved. Dream on.
Indeed, the first major hurdle is that we (the UK) have no idea just how many foreign immigrants there are in the country nor how many have driving licences/entitlement to drive. Hence a significant number are happily driving around in foreign registered cars with no tax/mot/insurance/licence and the chances of anything happening to them are incredibly slim.
300bhp/ton said:
Mr GrimNasty said:
Ludicrous costs/unmanageable numbers involved. Dream on.
So because you think it's a challenge then the best thing to do is quite and bury your head in the sand while voicing fairly meaningless excuses. 
I can think of a far better simple workable solution to the problems you present, one that would remove illegal/dangerous drivers, catch more criminals, raise a lot of money, improve drivers’ manners and safety….
But I’d hate to rob you of the chance to do all that blue-sky thinking….
So go on guess……
I think that one test in (usually) your teens has no bearing on how you will drive throughout your life until you are 70 years old. In that respect yes we should be resitting now and then.
Given the amount of a
holes on the road nowadays, we should all be involved in a crash on at least a weekly basis!
But we're not. And until we are, there is no actual evidence to suggest retesting would benefit anyone. And no government is going to decree that logistical nightmare without firm evidence backing it.
Are they?
That last bit is decidedly tongue in cheek
Given the amount of a
holes on the road nowadays, we should all be involved in a crash on at least a weekly basis!But we're not. And until we are, there is no actual evidence to suggest retesting would benefit anyone. And no government is going to decree that logistical nightmare without firm evidence backing it.
Are they?
That last bit is decidedly tongue in cheek
rev-erend said:
So what are you going to do with all the non british drivers who live here permanently...
snipersOr... They hand their cars over to British subjects at the ports, who then drive them around. Obviously the tourists will pay for this privelidge but its a brilliant way of helping the economy:
1) Those unemployed will get part time jobs as drivers- money away from the benefits and into peoples pockets
2) The tourists can drink, so can spend more in UK pubs, bars ete etc
3) They are more likely to use them, so will spend more on fuel, car parks etc
4) Local knowledge will mean you wont get tousists deciding 5pm on a friday night is a good time to pop out onto the M25 for a "bit of a drive".
5) local knowledge will mean they go to proper bars, pubs etc not some dodgy touristy "green man pub in harrods" nonsense
God there's so much win with this idea. I'm going on Dragons Den. See yer...
There are lots of ass clowns on the roads, agreed but that will not change with re-tests there will always be mongs, the vast majority can behave within the rules of the road for the duration of a test, then once re-afirmed they can then behave like ass clowns again, imho it would be an utter waste of time.
300bhp/ton said:
Proposal:
-First re-test should occur 5 years after taking your driving test when you gained your full driving licence
-Thereafter a retest should be mandatory every 3 years
-If you are granted a UK driving licence without taking a driving test, then you should require a re-test every 3 years from the point you are granted the licence
Why do you feel that new drivers should be allowed to develop bad habits for five years, and then later reduce the interval to three years?-First re-test should occur 5 years after taking your driving test when you gained your full driving licence
-Thereafter a retest should be mandatory every 3 years
-If you are granted a UK driving licence without taking a driving test, then you should require a re-test every 3 years from the point you are granted the licence
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