learners allowed on motorways!
Discussion
Rawwr said:
Not sure I've ever fully understood the big deal about driving on motorways anyway 
99% of people who have never been on one are convinced the safest thing is to sit in the middle lane at 55mph and ignore EVERYTHING ELSE, you appear to be in the 1% who use common sense, the rest need to be taught it.KingNothing said:
Me either.
At least with this you'll have someone sitting next to them telling them to keep left, then it might stick in their brain when they're past their test.
Having seen the learners in my area sit in the outside lane of empty(ish)DC, I have little hope. Seems some of the instructors just go on to teach bad habits to the students. At least with this you'll have someone sitting next to them telling them to keep left, then it might stick in their brain when they're past their test.
sday12 said:
Was speaking to friend of my mother's who said driving on a motorway was 'terrifying'
I know several people who are terrified of driving on motorways. It's especially a different kettle of fish on a busy motorway if you're in an underpowered supermini, than it is in something larger and with reasonable power.I don't understand the premise:
TheTelegraph said:
The change, which will come into force next year, is intended to end the situation in which young drivers can be confronted with traffic driving at speeds of 70 mph or above without any preparation.
How do these learners miss this training? Surely every learner drives on dual carriageway? Near me there are sections of three-lane dual carriageway; the only difference between that and a three-lane motorway is that the A14 is statistically more dangerous. If learners aren't experiencing these speeds on dual carriageways, how is the motorway going to help? Moreover, if learners are not being taught how to drive correctly on dual carriageways, how does letting them be taught badly on motorways help?Deva Link said:
I know several people who are terrified of driving on motorways. It's especially a different kettle of fish on a busy motorway if you're in an underpowered supermini, than it is in something larger and with reasonable power.
I disagree. Whether I'm in a Ford Ka or on a Honda Fireblade, the approach to and the way I handle myself on a motorway is no different.aizvara said:
How do these learners miss this training? Surely every learner drives on dual carriageway? Near me there are sections of three-lane dual carriageway; the only difference between that and a three-lane motorway is that the A14 is statistically more dangerous. If learners aren't experiencing these speeds on dual carriageways, how is the motorway going to help? Moreover, if learners are not being taught how to drive correctly on dual carriageways, how does letting them be taught badly on motorways help?
Not always, many dual carriageways near cities and towns have had 40 or 50mph speed limits applied. It might take half an hour to get to a bit that has a sensible speed limit.KrazyIvan said:
99% of people who have never been on one are convinced the safest thing is to sit in the middle lane at 55mph and ignore EVERYTHING ELSE, you appear to be in the 1% who use common sense, the rest need to be taught it.
When I took the GF on the motorway for the first time (3 years after passing her test) she had no idea what lane she was meant to be in (a by-product of everyone else sitting in the middle lane). While allowing learners to drive on the motorway won't help those who have no access to one (read as: "Up north"); if more people are driving correctly on them, other drivers will hopefully follow suit.
However, while it is a good idea, it's diluted by using the death card again. Motorways are the safest roads, this seems to be a knee jerk reaction to the M5 accident last month.
'Cutting the death toll' would mean to me:
- Compulsory night driving (particularly on non-street lit roads).
- Wet weather/snow driving simulations (skid pan would be preferable but you could do something similar with a PS3 and copy of GT5). Some people seem to have no idea what different road conditions mean to grip, let alone what 'driving to the conditions' means.
- Compulsory overtaking on single carriageway. Way too many head-ons which could be avoided by either being able to gauge overtaking situations better/learn when to drop back from an overtake rather than 'white knuckling' the steering wheel with the accelerator mashed.
Edited by bicycleshorts on Friday 9th December 12:58
I've no idea what it is about motorways that people struggle with. All the traffic is going in the same direction at roughly the same speed. There aren't any pedestrians or push bikes to worry about, junctions are signed miles in advance, there's a dedicated lane to use if you break down, etc, etc.
Of all our roads I would have thought they were the easiest to master.
Of all our roads I would have thought they were the easiest to master.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff