Retests...whaddya think?
Discussion
Earlier this week, there was an article on the news suggesting that in order to reduce accidents, there should be a retest for all drivers after, say, ten years.
I accept that driver skills need regular honing after the test, but the problem is how to get the dissinterested driver to improve his/her driving.
As a company car driver, I have taken part in several 'driver education' schemes, in order that the company get a reduced insurance rate. They were not quite to IAM level, but rather aimed at improving your analysis and awareness of conditions etc,. the last one even required the driver to commentate while driving.
I would be quite happy to see a scheme introduced where you are encouraged to take a half-day's tuition after which, as an incentive, subject to an acceptable pass level, you would receive a discount on your insurance.
Failure to meet the pass level, no such discount, a dismal result would require you to retake the test.
I can see however, that some insurance companies might view this as a way to raise their premiums and the 'discount' would simply reduce it to the previous level, but it's food for thought.
I accept that driver skills need regular honing after the test, but the problem is how to get the dissinterested driver to improve his/her driving.
As a company car driver, I have taken part in several 'driver education' schemes, in order that the company get a reduced insurance rate. They were not quite to IAM level, but rather aimed at improving your analysis and awareness of conditions etc,. the last one even required the driver to commentate while driving.
I would be quite happy to see a scheme introduced where you are encouraged to take a half-day's tuition after which, as an incentive, subject to an acceptable pass level, you would receive a discount on your insurance.
Failure to meet the pass level, no such discount, a dismal result would require you to retake the test.
I can see however, that some insurance companies might view this as a way to raise their premiums and the 'discount' would simply reduce it to the previous level, but it's food for thought.
Surely insurance discounts will just be fiddled by the insurance companies ie. they'll just raise the "normal" level and the advance test level will bring it back to what it is now.
What about the government taking an active part in it by offering reduced car tax to those who can pass a certain advanced level test. Reduction could last for 5 years or so when the driver would need to re-take the advance test to continue receiving the discount.
What about the government taking an active part in it by offering reduced car tax to those who can pass a certain advanced level test. Reduction could last for 5 years or so when the driver would need to re-take the advance test to continue receiving the discount.
All drivers, travelling at 10mph below speed limit in Northampton
All drivers who are or have ever been in front of my car
All Women (licence to be shredded in portable machine(the windy handled one) in front of them car crushed at road side
Er
Thats it feelingmuchbetterallofasuddenahhhhh
All drivers who are or have ever been in front of my car
All Women (licence to be shredded in portable machine(the windy handled one) in front of them car crushed at road side
Er
Thats it feelingmuchbetterallofasuddenahhhhh
quote:
We decided that the best way forward would be to have completely random retests to ensure that bad habits dont creep in as easily.
Sounds like a good idea....you just get a letter in the post saying pass your retest by so and when or your licence will be revoked. If plod pulls you over and runs your driver number through it tells 'em you're not qualified to drive!
quote:
All Women (licence to be shredded in portable machine(the windy handled one) in front of them car crushed at road side
Anyone crushing my Griff at the roadside will have me to deal with!!!
I like the general idea of retesting - but what would people do if they failed? Stop driving? I doubt it somehow...
I don’t think retesting is really practical. Imagine the problems caused by people failing and having their licences revoked. There would suddenly be thousands of people out of work due to test failure. Many would continue to drive anyway and be uninsured. Think how much chaos it would cause – then triple the amount of chaos you just thought of to take account of the fact that Tony’s government would be in charge of it, and they’re finding it hard enough to deal with A-level results!
I’d propose a compulsory day’s driver training every year or two. Covering things like lane discipline, proper use of indicators on roundabouts, skid control, observation, etc. No pass or fail, but a damn good bollocking from the instructor if you drive like a numpty.
The government could even privatise it. 30 million ish drivers taking the course every year would create massive economies of scale, so the course probably wouldn’t cost too much and they could even make a profit. Although ideally Tony should pay for the everybody’s training – I reckon I’ve paid already him enough motoring taxes to keep me in driver training for the rest of my life
I’d propose a compulsory day’s driver training every year or two. Covering things like lane discipline, proper use of indicators on roundabouts, skid control, observation, etc. No pass or fail, but a damn good bollocking from the instructor if you drive like a numpty.
The government could even privatise it. 30 million ish drivers taking the course every year would create massive economies of scale, so the course probably wouldn’t cost too much and they could even make a profit. Although ideally Tony should pay for the everybody’s training – I reckon I’ve paid already him enough motoring taxes to keep me in driver training for the rest of my life
Yeah that's right! How many people do you think could pass another test - half the motoring population?
This would certainly be the safest thing to do to stop accidents occuring, but Tony Thatcher knows he'll lose on taxes etc and economy would be damaged. So then speed camera's it is??!!??.
If the government really was interested in safety it would introduce a re-test plan, but even some kind of pilot project or the advanced tests mentioned by somebody else - I did an advanced test once with another guy too. Very old guy never taken a test in his life! Like a lot of people he thought the motorway lanes were slow/medium/fast, and so would sit in the slow lane at 50 and the middle lane at 55/60! NEVER any faster, but I noticed he still did 40 in a 30 though! Education is what people need.
This would certainly be the safest thing to do to stop accidents occuring, but Tony Thatcher knows he'll lose on taxes etc and economy would be damaged. So then speed camera's it is??!!??.
If the government really was interested in safety it would introduce a re-test plan, but even some kind of pilot project or the advanced tests mentioned by somebody else - I did an advanced test once with another guy too. Very old guy never taken a test in his life! Like a lot of people he thought the motorway lanes were slow/medium/fast, and so would sit in the slow lane at 50 and the middle lane at 55/60! NEVER any faster, but I noticed he still did 40 in a 30 though! Education is what people need.
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How about making everyone taking a retest when they get their pension??
Here in Florida after a certain age (61 or 65) you are required to retest (I believe) every two years or so...
...and we have the biggest "pensioner" voting block in the States and not a word out of them about this recently enacted law. I guess a good idea, is a good idea...
ErnestM
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How about making everyone taking a retest when they get their pension??
then, older people who (through no fault of their own) don't have good enough eyesight or quick enough reactions won't be on the road.
Experience counts for nothing if you cannot see the problem..
OK, we've all seen an elderly driver doing something stupid, but let's not be age-ist here - next time you negotiate a roundabout with another driver on your outside, then find he/she is going right round the roundabout when you wish to make your exit, result - you nearly drive into his/her door...see through the red mist whether it is an elderly driver or not. It's not only wrinklies that seem oblivious to other road users.
I'd like to see an attempt to raise the skill level of all drivers, not just some. There is a need for everyone to take pride in their driving and to see it as more than just a means of transport.
Rather than get past your test and do nothing to further raise your ability as a driver, I would support any scheme to encourage road users to follow up their basic lessons with tuition like Ride Drive etc,.
How about a retest that asseses your driving and if you fall below the required standard you have to take some acredited lessons and then the test again say five goes and then the licence goes until you retake the learner test.
Instead of gatso's at the side of the road how about mobile simulators that test reactions, eyesight, knowagle of the road, and give advice on driving in different conditions and generaly try and help people to a higher standard of driving, instead of just the speed element of road acidents which in lots of cases is not the major cause but is always present it has to be for two objects to hit each other
And safty tests for cars etc. on the road.
Instead of gatso's at the side of the road how about mobile simulators that test reactions, eyesight, knowagle of the road, and give advice on driving in different conditions and generaly try and help people to a higher standard of driving, instead of just the speed element of road acidents which in lots of cases is not the major cause but is always present it has to be for two objects to hit each other
And safty tests for cars etc. on the road.
The problem seems to be a bit deeper than just retests. It started wrong and has gone downhill ever since. When the car was invented the french had a motor race and we brought in the red flag law. In the same way as it is cool in the UK to be incapable of basic practical tasks and to be bordering on the innumerate. It is also kind of cool to be crap driver. We have never taken road use seriously. To suddenly take a retrospective grip on the problem would cause more problems than it would solve. We can of course slowly introduce proper driver qualifications which over years will improve driver standards. It would pretty much be impossible to revoke driving licences for non offenders anyway because they were issued for a fixed period and in some cases for life.
As insurance companies are all theives with o levels (or perhaps A levels these days ) then I believe they should be kept well out of it with respect to premiums based on competence.
A more proactive stance would be to spend some of the ill gotten on public awareness campaigns to make good driving cool and encourage frequent voluntary retraining. The IAM appears to be refocussing itself to that end.
As insurance companies are all theives with o levels (or perhaps A levels these days ) then I believe they should be kept well out of it with respect to premiums based on competence.
A more proactive stance would be to spend some of the ill gotten on public awareness campaigns to make good driving cool and encourage frequent voluntary retraining. The IAM appears to be refocussing itself to that end.
quote:
How about making everyone taking a retest when they get their pension??
Statistically the cause of road safety would be better served if drivers up to 25 were annually subject to retest but statistics are not always what they seem to be.
If it is considered that the system could be made to accommodate retests without clogging up it might be a better idea to retest following convictions or single vehicle accidents etc.
Personally I feel the test is a joke and I see little to be gained from any amount of retesting.
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Personally I feel the test is a joke and I see little to be gained from any amount of retesting.
I agree with you that the UK test is a joke.
Can anyone identify any European country with
an easier test ?
Given that the test is so easy, and that I've got a bit
of paper that says I'm ok to drive for decades,
but on the other hand my car gets a test every year,
then I'm all for re-tests every three years or so.
If nothing else it would get the great British public
worrying about the quality of their driving now & again.
Which has to be a good thing.
Also, the re-test would cost money, and keepfolks
ion jobs shuffling the paper produced.
BTW, just been visiting Somserset & Wiltshire.
Ok 90% of them drive 4x4, but why so slow ?
40-50 mph down a A road isn't reasonable progress
on a dry sunny day.
Personally, random retests on an average once per 5/10 years sounds like an attractive option. I have no worries about passing a test again.
And to spring it on everyone so as to cause a short term drop in road users and a medium/long term improvement in driving standards appeals to me, but there'd be chaos.. it could not practically be done.
So something more incremental. Start by making all new licenses valid for 10 years like a passport - that's the long term fix. Then figure out how to apply this retrospectively - after all, we all have licenses which say they are valid until the day we're 70 at present, so that's a pretty large rock to shift.
Incentivised advanced training along the lines as above for the company car driver should be extended to all drivers.. it could be offered by employers as tax deductable, also bringing down the cost of fleet policies and, for non-company drivers, paid for by IPT exemption and greater no-claims discounts.
If the true cost of road accidents is as the government says, then reductions in accidents will pay for the sdministration of all this and the cost-benny-fit analyses they're so damned fond of will give the answer we need..
And to spring it on everyone so as to cause a short term drop in road users and a medium/long term improvement in driving standards appeals to me, but there'd be chaos.. it could not practically be done.
So something more incremental. Start by making all new licenses valid for 10 years like a passport - that's the long term fix. Then figure out how to apply this retrospectively - after all, we all have licenses which say they are valid until the day we're 70 at present, so that's a pretty large rock to shift.
Incentivised advanced training along the lines as above for the company car driver should be extended to all drivers.. it could be offered by employers as tax deductable, also bringing down the cost of fleet policies and, for non-company drivers, paid for by IPT exemption and greater no-claims discounts.
If the true cost of road accidents is as the government says, then reductions in accidents will pay for the sdministration of all this and the cost-benny-fit analyses they're so damned fond of will give the answer we need..
quote:
It is also kind of cool to be crap driver. ....... As insurance companies are all theives with o levels (or perhaps A levels these days ) then I believe they should be kept well out of it with respect to premiums based on competence.
A more proactive stance would be to spend some of the ill gotten on public awareness campaigns to make good driving cool and encourage frequent voluntary retraining.
I totally agree - I can recall a weekly TV program featuring Graham Hill who advised on better, smoother driving. Perhaps a similar TV program could be created using another motoring 'hero' (I can see another thread starting here!) where the emphasis would be on improving driving standards in an attempt to make people proud of the quality of their driving.
I can see that my earlier suggestion to involve insurance companies might not have been such a good idea...please ignore that bit!
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