Thoughts on old age drivers..
Comments
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The re-test should be every 5 years. At the test you should be able to add various special classes to your licence, like booze and drugs and phones etc. Basically if you want you can pass your test you can get an allowance on your licence allowing you to drive like that for the next 5 years.
If you had 4 pints and then took your test eating a Kebab and chatting to somebody on the phone and you can still pass your test, surely you’re always safe to do that? If the police pull you over, you just show them your licence and they can work out if you’ve been doing anything you’re not allowed to do. If you have a 6 pint allowance but you are as drunk as if you’d had 7, you’re breaking the law.0 -
It's not just old age drivers who forget how to drive (that includes,speed limits,signs,highway code,common courtesy?)
ps: A Learner in an instructors car indicated right and turned left in front of me yesterday,even provisional holders under instruction get it wrong. It wasn't even gentle,full on OH FUCK PANIC type turn
I would quite happily take a retest every 5-10 years although maybe a CPC like scheme for non HGV/LGV drivers would work?0 -
How the hell are we to re-test everyone, every 5 years.
Assuming there are 20,000,000 drivers in the UK thats over 15,000 tests to be done every working day. Plus all the new drivers taking their test for the first time.
How much will that cost and what benefit will it achieve?0 -
Zanelad wrote:How the hell are we to re-test everyone, every 5 years.
Assuming there are 20,000,000 drivers in the UK thats over 15,000 tests to be done every working day. Plus all the new drivers taking their test for the first time.
How much will that cost and what benefit will it achieve?
It'll cost the government nothing. It will, in fact, make them money and create jobs. Plus make the roads safer. Win/win you'd have thought."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Won't change ripoff insurance premiums though. NI is still stuck in the "troubles" according to most mainland based Underwriters.disgruntledgoat wrote:Zanelad wrote:How the hell are we to re-test everyone, every 5 years.
Assuming there are 20,000,000 drivers in the UK thats over 15,000 tests to be done every working day. Plus all the new drivers taking their test for the first time.
How much will that cost and what benefit will it achieve?
It'll cost the government nothing. It will, in fact, make them money and create jobs. Plus make the roads safer. Win/win you'd have thought.0 -
Hmmm... I wonder if there's a discussion running on the motoring forums on why cycling proficiency tests should be compulsory for "lycra clad buffoons" every five years?
Purveyor of "up"
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I live on a very quiet cul de sac, there's a bridleway at the end so it's popular with dog walkers, cyclists and horseriders. On Sunday I heard a crash and ran outside to see the most bewildered looking set of pensioners I'd ever seen clambering out of their tiny smart (type) car. They'd come into our cul de sac to execute a 3 point turn, and somehow used full throttle which put the car into a violent spin and their car ended up in my neigbour's garden, it was only saved from smashing into my car due to a concrete fence post.
The thing with this is, had it been a teenager, it would probably have been due to them messing about. But this was an 80+ year old guy who didn't have a clue how he had ended up where he had. So glad he didn't take out a horse, cyclist, pram walking mum, kids or what have you.
He'll fix his car and be back on the roads in days.0 -
Here's a photo, just for giggles.
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Everybody should just get off the feckin road when I'm on it, I don't care how feckin old you are, get off my road.Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0 -
Bobbinogs wrote:p9uma wrote:Everybody should just get off the feckin road when I'm on it, I don't care how feckin old you are, get off my road.
How long have you had your Beemer, btw??
I do not have a BMW, I do however own the road, and if I have more of your cheek, I will not allow you to use it anymore. Ever.Trek Madone 3.5
Whyte Coniston
1970 Dawes Kingpin0 -
disgruntledgoat wrote:Zanelad wrote:How the hell are we to re-test everyone, every 5 years.
Assuming there are 20,000,000 drivers in the UK thats over 15,000 tests to be done every working day. Plus all the new drivers taking their test for the first time.
How much will that cost and what benefit will it achieve?
It'll cost the government nothing. It will, in fact, make them money and create jobs. Plus make the roads safer. Win/win you'd have thought.
Whether we pay, or the govenment pays it's still a lot of money for little return. All that will happen is everyone will drive as they should do in order to pass their test and then slip back into their old habits. I suspect very few people driving today drive like they were taught.
Why not test everyone, every year? We'll be 5 times as safe.0 -
By that logic - would you trust a doctor that has had no extra training, read no papers (journal ones) or learnt about no new drugs since he passed his degree 10/20/30/40 years ago?
There will always be "real p9umas" but the rest of the people on the road (who make up the vast majority), will get a solid K up the A about their driving.
Anecdote again, but my Mother got banned for 6 months for acumulating 12 speeding points when she was a Rep. When she returned it made nearly no difference to the speed she drove so she got pinged again. This time she went on that course thing they make you do - THAT has slowed her right down!
If not a test, then a reminder, courses etc would force people to keep up with the changes in driving/road system. For example, there could be a ppt slide saying the cyclists require the width of a car when overtaking, or do not have to use bike lanes, or even a slide talking about road tax or the history of roads. Obviously there are non-cycling examples but given this is a bike forum....
They could start with the story about Most people thinking they are better than average drivers, even when people in A & E wards who were in there because of RTA's were asked. Everyone thinks they re a good driver. Clearly that is nt the case and very few people bother to find out the reality.We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
ddraver wrote:
They could start with the story about Most people thinking they are better than average drivers, even when people in A & E wards who were in there because of RTA's were asked. Everyone thinks they re a good driver. Clearly that is nt the case and very few people bother to find out the reality.
Re-that stat - it's very much about what the criteria for being a good driver are.
My boss think he's a good driver becasue he can average 100mph down the motorway.
My other boss think he's a great driver because he can drive quickly but economically, handle slides round corners and anticipate traffic.
One has 6 points, one has 9 points, and they've both been in car accidents.
They think i'm an appalling driver, and I've got no points, have never been in an accident, and broadly stick to the speed limits (within reason).
(They both of course, forget I smashed them both in the office go-karting
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I don't think that's important Rick as the interesting part of the stat is how people perceive themselves as good drivers. Essentially they re judging themselves by their own criteria a la The Inquisitor from Red Dwarf...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tGO79BtWUIWe're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
- @ddraver0 -
As someone who spent 20 years as an ADI you've got it in one. Five or even ten year re-testing would be a logistically nightmare, the cost of providing extra test centres and examiners would be prohibitive and when I packed up instructing six years ago the DSA were losing two million a year on tests, despite having a monopoly on them. As for the practical benefits there would be little or none. The most aggressive drivers on the road mostly have above average car control skills which is the reason they get away with the way they drive (more often than not). Their problem is one of attitude which they can easily alter to satisfy an examiner on test and then revert to type afterwards. The losers would be the conscientious drivers whose nerves get the better of them on the day. And how many Bikeradars who think they are safe drivers would pass? I know enough to pass a driving test virtually in my sleep, I know exactly what the examiner wants, unlike most of you and I would sail through 99 time out of 100. but there's always that one time...Zanelad wrote:disgruntledgoat wrote:Zanelad wrote:How the hell are we to re-test everyone, every 5 years.
Assuming there are 20,000,000 drivers in the UK thats over 15,000 tests to be done every working day. Plus all the new drivers taking their test for the first time.
How much will that cost and what benefit will it achieve?
It'll cost the government nothing. It will, in fact, make them money and create jobs. Plus make the roads safer. Win/win you'd have thought.
Whether we pay, or the govenment pays it's still a lot of money for little return. All that will happen is everyone will drive as they should do in order to pass their test and then slip back into their old habits. I suspect very few people driving today drive like they were taught.
Why not test everyone, every year? We'll be 5 times as safe.0
