Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

Been listening to the radio today, and there seems to be a bit of a hoo-ha about the driving test going on at the moment.

There where some plans to toughen up the test and post test time to save a few peoples lives. It's a good idea, but I'm not sure that some of the things they where proposing are actually useful or enforceable.

No driving at night unless accompanied, no mobile phones, limited engine sizes...

They've decided to scrap the plans at the moment, which in it's self has caused uproar. But I really thing it's about time they addressed the two main problems...

1 - Stop teaching people to pass a test and teach them to drive (that goes for bikes as well)
2 - Get some enforcement back on the road so people don't carry on with this attitude of "I can do what ever I like as there's nobody here to catch me"

Thoughts ??

I think young drivers should be restricted in engine size and power.

The mobile phones point should be relevant for everyone but i see so many drivers now with their hands to their ear, they really don't give a shit as they know they are unlikely to be caught.

Minimum 10 hours supervised motorway driving
Minimum 5 hours supervised night time driving
10 year retesting
Compulsory retest for everyone when they hit 65 with medical check every 5 years
125bhp limit for all drivers until they have had their licence for 3 years
All new cars to have bluetooth and each car sold must be hooked up to the owners phone when they collect the vehicle.

duke63 wrote:I think young drivers should be restricted in engine size and power.

The insurance companies kind of do that already with the cost.

Think Jon hit the nail on the head when he said learn to drive not learn to pass a test.

Did you see that article about the car thief who reduced someone's premium?

He had an insurance tracker installed. The bloke who nicked the car drove better than the owner.

In all honesty they have needed to change the test for a long time and think they should be a lot harsher on drivers.

People seem to forget that a car can kill someone and too many go around like absolute pricks on the road.

Agreed with Kwacky's point with phone being hooked up at dealership with Bluetooth. See too many people on their phones and they can't say they haven't got it these are Audi, BMW and Merc drivers!

Was listening to radio 1 yesterday and there was a kid saying how it would ruin his life because he goes to gigs and that...not being funny but didn't everyone else survive years ago...we are in a world of want! Also the argument the news reporter made was how do kids turn up to college on time...I thought we had trains and buses...our legs to walk...or even bikes to cycle there...I had to cycle to college for years so why is that so bad for other people??!

I was driving as soon as I could, but I always avoided the car when I could. Why take a car with you to a gig or out with your mates?

A woman went through a red light across my path this mornign (I saw what was going to happen luckily).

She was messing about with something looking down. When I pulled along side, she was eating from a packet of crisps.

Kwacky I did the same, at 17 I started to drive I loved it but I couldn't afford to run a car so I did my test and went without. When I went out with mates I still used the bus or trains and that was good enough. If they were cancelled I just walked or cycled. When I went to gigs I tool the trains was easier and adds to the whole experience too and adds more fun to it...or has the country really become a scary place or are they to scared to jump on buses or are they better than bus wan#ers!!?

Kwacky Fact: Kwacky has never owned a car.

Trudat

Rossgo not know this!! Prob would of saved me a fair few quid if I hadn't owned any Cars!!

Rossgo wrote:Was listening to radio 1 yesterday and there was a kid saying how it would ruin his life because he goes to gigs and that...not being funny but didn't everyone else survive years ago...we are in a world of want! Also the argument the news reporter made was how do kids turn up to college on time...I thought we had trains and buses...our legs to walk...or even bikes to cycle there...I had to cycle to college for years so why is that so bad for other people??!

I looked into taking public transport for college and found it would take more than twice as long (1hr by road normally Vs 2hr+ public transport) and I wouldn't be able to afford the public transport option either as it costs more than driving. The fuel cost is around £7.50 a day even if I factored in £2.50 a day wear and tear that only takes it up to £10 a day whereas public transport would cost me £13.50 a day.

On top of this at weekends I work in another area, it takes me 20-30 minutes to get there in the car and again public transport would take me upwards of 70 minutes. The cost of driving, including wear and tear factored in at £1.50 a journey is £5 a day whereas public transport comes in at over £10 a day.

Comparing both journeys I save almost £40 a week by using a car plus many lost hours on public transport. Coupled with this, each of my public transport journeys would require around 3 miles of walking to stops/stations/final destinations which hasn't been factored into the time allowances.

Until public transport is cheaper, more reliable and is able to hold its own against personal private transport for me it's a no brainer.

Kwacky wrote:Minimum 10 hours supervised motorway driving
Minimum 5 hours supervised night time driving.

A compulsory Pass Plus kind of effort to "unlock" restricted roadways or just as in part of normal driving lessons to be ticked off before your test?

Kwacky wrote:All new cars to have bluetooth and each car sold must be hooked up to the owners phone when they collect the vehicle.

I think this will have a very limited effect. If people are gonna text, they are gonna text regardless. I see so many people daily texting now that it almost seems to have taken over from calling at the wheel. Harsher penalties for people caught calling or texting with greater fines too. If people were being caught and fined £300+ they may think about picking up the phone but catching people needs to happen.

Kwacky wrote:10 year retesting.

The system can barely handle the current influx of drivers, I know my local testing station closed a couple of years ago. With current testing waiting lists months long, with 10 year retesting this would probably stretch even further.
coupled with this people would probably have a driving lesson or two to shake out bad habits in a way you would revise for any exam adding further to the cost. From here more licence renewal fees to the dvla and maybe more errors in lost categories and dvla bugger ups.
If you hold a licence for more than one vehicle would that mean multiple retests every 10 years. Bike, car, LGV & Hgv could all add up pretty quickly.

Kwacky wrote:Compulsory retest for everyone when they hit 65 with medical check every 5 years.

This is sensible, I could also understand a CBT style off road test at 65, 75 and 80.

Kwacky wrote:125bhp limit for all drivers until they have had their licence for 3 years.

125bhp is quite a lot of power realistically, I thing 100bhp would suffice or a 1.4litre max (Petrol or 1.6 non turbo diesel) engine capacity for 2- 3 years.

D6Nutz wrote: 2 - Get some enforcement back on the road so people don't carry on with this attitude of "I can do what ever I like as there's nobody here to catch me"

Thoughts ??

I recall when I was younger and first passed my test. I used to see a lot of police cars on the roads but they seem to have been replaced by camera vans and more recently stealthy camera bikes. When pulled over as a youngster often you would be given a warning and I'd like to think that was enough to change a persons driving behaviour for the better, the problem I find with theses camera vans is that they don't come with the stern telling off you get from a person to drum some sense into you.

R34PER

Majority live in big towns and buses are - were reasonably cheap. Oyster card had the answers to everything when I was at college don't know how much public transport is now...fatness, laziness and age have taken over so I car it everywhere now!!

Not much anyone can do when living a lot further away really in this era!!


I'm not to surprised that your saying its cheaper by car but if more people used public transport then prices would drop down...well in the peefect world it would haha!!

Kwacky wrote:Kwacky Fact: Kwacky has never owned a car.

Trudat

Isn't the Mazda yours?

No, the Mazda is Sam's but if I have to use a car it's the Mazda I use as Sam prefers her Nissan

Rossgo wrote:R34PER

Majority live in big towns and buses are - were reasonably cheap. Oyster card had the answers to everything when I was at college don't know how much public transport is now...fatness, laziness and age have taken over so I car it everywhere now!!

Not much anyone can do when living a lot further away really in this era!!


I'm not to surprised that your saying its cheaper by car but if more people used public transport then prices would drop down...well in the peefect world it would haha!!

I used to always use public transport, then the prices started to rise to a point where it was cheaper to use the car. I also had the unreliability issue with public transport. It got so bad that I was leaving the house an hour earlier than I would normally need to due to trains and busses running behind or being cancelled on a regular basis. In my area at least it seemed that the service became terrible, the prices went up and people moved back to their cars as a result. Busses especially around here, the services have also been cut.
In my opinion it comes from poor management of the rail and bus services. If there was a system in place that was both affordable and reliable I'd use it but there isn't so I drive. I'd also like to be able to get a bicycle on the train at rush hour to avoid busses so I could cycle either end of my commute.

Kwacky wrote:No, the Mazda is Sam's but if I have to use a car it's the Mazda I use as Sam prefers her Nissan

So Sam has two cars?

You need two bikes then, Kwacky.

Kwacky wrote:Kwacky Fact: Kwacky has never owned a car.

Trudat

Why?, doesn't it affect insurance no claims etc?