This morning, I was driving to work and was listening to the BBC London breakfast show, which features Jo Good and Paul Ross, who is every bit as irritating as his brother Jonathan (I had to turn him off in the end when he started practising the few bits of German he said he knew for a German caller who was telling us how they do things back home). Apparently there is some statistic that a fifth of accidents involve newly-qualified drivers, so there is some sort of consultation about whether restrictions ought to be placed on such drivers, such as having to attach a "P" (provisional) plate to the vehicle or not being allowed to drive on motorways or at night.
When I took my test back in 1995, I do not remember even doing a theory test; the only theory test I've done was during a brief foray into bus driving in 2001 or so. Round about 1997, they introduced a theory test for all new drivers, and they have also reduced the number of points a new driver can get (points are penalty marks on the licence) before they are taken off the road. The rules are that learners can drive while accompanied by a qualified driver, but must attach a regulation "L" plate to the car and stay off the motorways. The suggestions raised today include introducing a third test, separating the manoevres from the general driving, including motorway driving.
The problem is that the current system allows learners to drive on dual carriageways, which in some parts of the country (particulary East Anglia) entirely replace motorways and are generally more difficult to drive on because their surface is often inferior, the lanes are fewer (usually two rather than three) and narrower, the traffic just as heavy (both the main dual carriageways into East Anglia, namely the A12 from London and the A14 from the Midlands, carry trucks going to the ports at Harwich and Felixstowe) and the speed limit for cars just as high (70 mph, with some cars going a lot faster). If someone happens to live in a part of the country where there are a lot of these roads, they will get the practice necessary for the motorway without having to go on one.
For many drivers, passing the test with the current system is really quite difficult. Some people do pass on their first attempt; many take more than that; it was four in my case. It is a matter of a half-hour demonstration of your driving to a total stranger who is drilled with the dogma of how to "drive properly", which includes things like not pulling out halfway across a road when one side is clear and you do not have priority besides the more practical and sensible rules. They also get you to demonstrate some common operations like an emergency stop and reverse parking. Some might argue that the system does need reforming, because this might not be the best way to demonstrate that one is safe on the road. The reforms, however, seem to involve making new drivers jump through more and more hoops.
Let's face it, the statistic really does not mean much - "20% of accidents are caused by new drivers" means "80% of accidents are caused by experienced drivers". There is the matter of who some of them are driving with, so prohibiting a young and very new driver from taking round a group consisting entirely of people under a certain age might be worth considering, as might allowing learners to take motorway lessons in a proper driving school car. Perhaps they could even have "driver education" in schools, which would weaken the influence of the private operators, many of whom are cowboys and some of whom charge exorbitant fees. However, I do not think that trotting out well-worn stereotypes about young, particularly male, drivers is helpful; people do not want to be assumed to be bad drivers just because some young men are idiots (and besides, you do get careless young female drivers as well). Making the test harder just because of the "boy racers" just penalises everyone who wants to learn how to drive, and is a gravy train both for the bureaucrats and for the training industry.
I passed my driving test 1st time (I think it was much easier then) exactly 10 years ago.
In my early days, I was always excited to drive my fathers car, since I didn't have my own. Eagerly willing to take my parents anywhere, just to drive the car.
Once driving the car down the dual carriageway with the family, I spotted a group of children on the side, who had leaped the barriers. From a distance, it wasn't clear, but I had feeling that they were egging on one another to run across the road.
I think I had slowed down from 50 to 40, just as a precaution. Then suddenly, a little girl just jumped onto my lane and ran into the middle of it.
I slammed the breaks, with the cars' ABS kicking in, I ground to halt just ONE METRE in front of her.
Afterwards, my mother privately told me that the she was glad that I was driving the car. Despite my fathers 20+ years experience, me being younger, meant that I likely had the faster reaction time.
Assalam-alaikam,
If they make it even harder I'll know for sure that I'll definitely never pass. Also I think one problem with making the tests very difficult is the increased number of people driving without a licence.
Every would-be motorist ought to be required to take thorough medicals- physical and psychological- every year. After they first pass the test- which would require a perfect score in both the practical and theoretical aspects- they ought to be allowed to use small, light slow cars- 2CVs or Fiat 500s or their equivalents. If they are safe on these they might- eventually- be allowed to drive more lethal cars. If they want to drive anything with an engine larger than than about 1000 c.c. they ought to be required to guve reasons why they should. Lorry and van drivers should undergo similar but much more stringent tests.
Any device which might make motorists safer should be forbidden; they will not be allowed to have seatbelts or safety bags- though their passengers could- and steering columns will be made rigid and have a large spike projecting at the end. Traffic police should be armed and have the power to carry out summary executions if they see fit to do so.