To think the new driving proposals are a fantastic idea?

[Sallystyle]

Teenagers could have to wait a year longer than currently before they are allowed to take their driving test.

The government is considering issuing only 12-month probationary licences at the age of 18 in a bid to cut accidents involving young motorists.

New drivers would also face a curfew between 22:00 and 05:00 unless a passenger aged over 30 was in the car.
It recommended a one-year "learner stage" during which drivers would have to total at least 100 hours of daytime and 20 hours of night-time practice under supervision.

During this stage, drivers under the age of 30 would also be banned from carrying any passengers also under 30.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24485792

There is also talk about making motorway lessons mandatory.

We're currently about 75 miles from the nearest motorway

I will be doing a pass plus to do some motorway driving, that's paying for at least 5 hours just to do an hours motorway driving, so I can see why people here might not.

Whilst I appreciate that younger drivers are statistically more likely to cause an accident, these proposals are nuts.

My DS has a summer birthday, if he had to wait until he was 18 to learn to drive he would not be able to, as he will (hopefully) be leaving home to go to uni.
People who are not planning to go to uni will presumably be looking for jobs. Many jobs require the ability to drive. If you can't learn until you're over 18 then you may not be able to apply for certain courses or jobs.
I think a certain number of official lessons is a good idea, but the idea of 100+ hours is again not thought through, nor is the "no passengers under 30".
I think they are proposing all this so that when they come up with their final proposals of, say, 60 hours of lessons and no passengers under 24, we'll all think that this is great because it's not as bad as it could have been....

Lots of teens now have "pay as you go" insurance. There is a black box fitted to the car which monitors your driving using GPS technology. Most large commercial fleets (and also the Met police) now have similar GPS technology. We could get rid of all speed bumps, speed cameras, young driver premiums etc and simply make it compulsory for ALL cars to have a black box fitted. You would automatically get a speeding ticket every time you sped so young boy racers would soon be off the roads. As would middle aged ones, so it would not be discriminatory.

These boxes can also give you feedback on your driving depending on things like your deceleration and speed round corners. There could be a penalty point system for that too and people who drive consistently badly would get warned and then banned.

It is unfair to pick on a whole age group when there are also sensible teen drivers (lots of the girls, for instance) and when the technology is in place to have a fairer system.

Actually, if people think the middle aged should be free to speed (I don't) then perhaps the black boxes could simply be mandatory for the first 3 years after your test and the pass would be revocable if you drive recklessly.

BTW I went to a talk by a senior traffic police officer and he said that the police force's own accident rate has plummeted since they had black box technology fitted to their own vehicles.

I would love to be able to drive at 20mph in residential areas without speed bumps wrecking my suspension whilst still knowing that others would be similarly compelled to drive at that speed.

I agree with the sentiment but,
It will push the costs up considerably
And my biggest fear is that young people instead of learning to drive will use more of other modes of transport ie mopeds. Far more dangerous

what about 20 somethings car pooling?

what a joke.

We live around 40 miles from the nearest motorway Thewoman, which is one of the reasons why we felt it incredibly important for DS1 to do his PassPlus. Our local authority paid for his, but they have just dropped it to 50% from them and 50% from the driver.

When he first passed we took him out at quiet times for lots of practice on dual carriage ways before he went on them on his own. It annoys me that all young drivers are tarred with the same brush. FIL bought himself a sporty car when he retired, then boasted he drove it at 128mph on a single carriageway, because that is really bloody safe!

I don't think I would pass my test if I retook it again today unless I had further lessons.
The main reason imo is because I don't drive like a learner/new driver anymore.
I would fail for being too confident, not holding the steering wheel at 10 to 3, not checking my rear view mirror enough, not swivelling my whole body round in an exaggerated fashion after getting in the car to check for oncoming vehicles (I tend to check in a much less exaggerated way IYSWIM), not checking the seat/wing mirrors/rear view mirror is at the correct position before pulling away, because I tend to do a quick check of rear view mirror only.
I would fail for not using my handbrake at every set of red traffic lights or when I have come to a complete standstill.
I suspect most drivers who have been driving longer than 2 years after passing their test have changed their habits. I know many drivers. None of them drive like a learner within 2 years of passing their test, because their confidence grows.

How many drivers do you know who have been driving for longer than 2 years who drive as though they are on a driving test?

I'm surprised anyone on this thread is frightened/worried/concerned when experienced drivers claim they probably wouldn't pass their test again if they took it tomorrow.

Most of us would pass again if we had a few refresher lessons, but without, ermmm, no.