Driving Tests every 25 years?

[Scrambledeggyegg]

I’m learning to drive right now... I’m in my mid 30s. I think everyone should have to retake their driving test every 25 years. To both raise revenue and get higher standards of driving. I feel if you have nothing to improve then nothing to worry about. If you’re good enough to pass the test you deserve to drive on the road. If not, then buses for you.

Considering the OP is new to the roads , she's streaked ahead of most already.

Can't believe the majority think the OP is being unreasonable. I did the IAM and that's recommend every 5 years.

The regular test should absolutely be every 10 years with the threat of a ban if you don't meet the standards.

I'd wager 99% of drivers don't even know that they signed a commitment when they got their licence and don't do what they signed up for.

OP: “tests are part of safety, and the mechanism of society control.“
OP: “IQ tests are a flawed concept.”

Oh, right, got it. Tests you can pass are an important part of safety and “society control” (that’s a term to put ice down your back and I would be terrified of anyone who says it; when the hell did the DVSA become part of 1984?!?). Tests you can’t pass are a “flawed concept.” Aye. We understand now. Check.

keep off my roads..

If this had any merit then car insurance would be cheapest on the day you passed your test and get more expensive over time. However, we all know the reverse to be true because experience trumps theory in accident statistics.

The commitment to keep up to date with new rules and regulations?

As an advanced driver myself, I'm amazed you don't think this is a good idea irrespective of the OP's experience.

You sound like the arrogant ones I came across during my training. Condescending much?

I take it you didn't do your IAM Masters? That requires a retest every 5 years.

I’m a much better driver 15 years after passing. I imagine most others are the same (and reducing insurance premiums for longer drivers would indicate this is true). I might not pass a test if someone watched the last time I drove, but I could definitely pass a test it required. I expect the same would be true of most drivers. Most people don’t drive recklessly because they’re unable to drive safely, they do it because they choose to.

Interesting that you’d link the two types of test as being similar because they are entirely different.

Driving tests are summative assessments that require everyone to reach to reach a bar at which their knowledge and practice are deemed safe for the environment of their activities.

IQ tests were invented for Eugenics programmes, to judge people for sterilisation. Their initial concept and structure remains as a legacy of a flawed measure of intelligence, where humans actually display intelligence in a myriad of different other ways not captured in that system.

Top prize for being in the 1%

Most people would be in their 40s or 50s at the first retest. They are perfectly capable of driving safely and would 'behave themselves' on the test. It would be a waste of time.

I expect most bad drivers would improve their driving for the test then revert. Suspect it's bad habits and attitude and laziness, not ignorance.

No thanks! I want another driving test about as much as I want a hole in the head. If it ever became a requirement to take another then I'd consider giving up driving.

I think it should be every 10 years, with mandatory black boxes in every car. So many shit driver's. I find middle aged parents the worst to be honest. See them speeding past schools all the time. If you drive well it's of no consequence to you. If you don't, oh well I'd rather you weren't on the road anyway. These kind of things need done to protect lives because of idiots on the road too busy putting on make up or using their phones to pay attention.

But we would need a lot more examiners etc to actually do this, which will never happen. Killing people is better than making things safe according to our government, and some voters...

Stop buying stuff and we won’t be needed 😂😂

I think retests should be mandatory after a driving ban.

I get where you're coming from OP. I must have picked up bad habits since I passed my test, I'm sure. But I'm not sure how easy it would be to administrate. I also think that people who are agressive or take risks on the road will probably do that regardless of how often they are tested. Behaving nicely to pass a test isn't the same as having a sensible, safe approach to driving IRL.

Retesting sounds ok in theory but would be difficult to implement practically. Also I suspect that many of the ‘bad’ drivers would perform just fine for the test before going back to their bad driving.

As someone else upthread said, pass your own test before treating others to your nuggets of wisdom.

They are, aren't they?

I wouldn't take much notice from IAM anyway. We have regular driver safety courses and the last one we had from them was dreadful. He tried to have us pulling out of junctions without stopping or looking properly and driving on the dual carriageway at 30-40 mph because there was a green light about mile up the road that might turn red before you get to it 'because it saves fuel'.

I slowed down at a junction because I thought I'd seen a cyclist and he shouted at me to keep going. I was also beeped and 'angry overtaken' by about half a dozen drivers while crawling up the dual carriageway because he shouted at me again for accelerating past 40 mph on a 70 mph road. Twat.

My life is set up to require driving. I drive the kids to school which isn’t within walking distance. I drive 80yo parents around because they can’t physically walk that far. I drive 30 minutes to my weekly hobby. I drive 30 mins to work but that would be 2hrs each way on the bus. And during the day I drive to see clients.

It was different before I learned to drive - my life was set up for public transport. I had purposely rented a house on a public transport route and taken a job that was accessible on public transport. I accepted that I couldn’t apply for any of the more lucrative jobs in the city because I couldn’t get there without a car. I accepted that I couldn’t take a job as a sales rep because I didn’t have a car.

But once you have a car, you make life decisions that require a car. And it isn’t easy to switch back. You can’t keep your life the same and just start using buses - you’d have to change your whole life, your job, your kids schools, your hobbies - everything.

If I could suddenly no longer drive, several people’s lives would be fucked up overnight. A re-test is a massive risk because the price of failing is catastrophic. You really haven’t thought this through.

That sounds like suspect rationale to me.

I've years on my kids but have things to learn from them all the time in many areas of life.

This OP

Worry about yourself 😂

When you say you’re ‘looking for ways to improve the country’, do you fancy yourself as someone in charge like a politician? You’re certainly meeting the current low bar for them.... Telling others how they should live without much knowledge of the topic, hypocritical, coming up with ‘solutions’ that aren’t practical, making life even more expensive for everyone and making people feel like basic things are a great privilege.

#ScrambledeggyeggfornextPM

But that's not a reason to carry on driving while incompetent, unable to see or dangerous/speeding etc.

There's some truly awful drivers on the road and I'm sure they'll all come up with reasons why they 'have' to be allowed to drive.

You don't really start learning to drive until you pass your test.

A driving instructor is more or less teaching you to pass said test.

Come back when you've got a driving licence.