Driving tests to become harder...!

samsaccount

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Heard on the news that due to the large amount of young drivers being involved in accidents they are considering increasing the level of difficulty for the driving tests. Although they claim that only 35% of pupils pass their test each year.

What do you think about this?
Should they make the tests harder, or offer an alternative to help prevent the large amount of accidents which occur?

Would like to hear other people's veiws on the subject.
 

moodymare1987

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Oh no ill never pass if they get harder, not that i know how hard they are, gord i dont think im destined to ever drive a car
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icklechlo

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i don't think they should make tests harder,I am learning to drive at the moment, and its not too bad, but the mock tests i have done are quite hard! I think they should consider other factors, for example, people who pass their tests and go and buy cars far too powerful for their experience, I think engine size should be limited for the first year or two, as it is for motorbikes, where for 2 years you are on a 33bhp restriction.
 

weevil

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Actually I think this is a good idea. From what I have read it seems that they are planning to asses the responsibility of the driver and not just their driving skills. They will be required to keep a record of their training, undertake a minimum period of practice and demonstrate that they have a responsible attitude rather than just the basic skills to pass the test. Teaching people how to drive safely and responsibly can only be a good thing IMO
 

Bossanova

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[ QUOTE ]
Simple answer..............Don't give liscences to chavs/boy racers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they should do a personality quiz before letting people into a car!!
 

samsaccount

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Sorry I didn't post my veiws.
I don't want the tests to get harder I am currently learning although due to financial reasons i have not had a lesson since june (hope to start again in the next few weeks)
I NEED to drive before june this year so i hope they don't make the tests harder before i take my exam.

I think everyone should have to retake the driving test say every 5-10 years as it is not just young people who are involved in accidents.

I think restricting the engine size is a good idea.
It is a better alternative than making the test harder.
 

samsaccount

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[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Simple answer..............Don't give liscences to chavs/boy racers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[/ QUOTE ]

I think they should do a personality quiz before letting people into a car!!

[/ QUOTE ]


HAHA I totally agree!!!!!!
 

weevil

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[ QUOTE ]
it is not just young people who are involved in accidents.

[/ QUOTE ]
No, but they are more then twice as likely to be killed in road accidents then older drivers.
 

the watcher

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I think the test is fine as it is, I would agree with limiting CC - easy to do by declining insurance to inexperienced drivers, and compulsory P plates for at least a year after the test.
 

HBII

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I think making the test harder does help the sitution, however I would fancy my chances lol!

Also I think that once you pass your test you should be made to have at lease a couple of lessons on the motorway, and explain the principle of the motorway.

I.E dont sit in the figging middle lane for no reason when the inside lane is clear, cutting me up at the slip road for the M6 and M6TOLL in your volvo and then swerving back into the M6TOLL road isnt a clever idea and it will p*ss me off and finally the speed limit is 70 mph why go on a mway to do 60? [granted lorries etc but car drivers - get real]

Ok Im off my soapbox now.

Hb
 

Rambo

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To be honest, i'm not sure that making the test harder will have that much effect
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So much of careful driving is down to experience, and experience can't be taught.

The idea of restricting power is a good one, although that only solves half the problem....the boy racer types who want to drive too fast too soon, but what about the dawdlers who can't make their minds up and then pull out in front of on-coming traffic and cause accidents that way, or the 'Maureens' who have absolutely no idea of what's going on around them
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The test is already tougher now than it was in my day....we never had to do a written test before getting behind the wheel....BUT there is only so much that can be taught
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I_A_P

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i have just passed, i found the whole driving malrky not too bad as i had "driven" before and by that i mean around the farm so i had a head start i suppose.however lessons cost a fortune and although i was lucky enogh to have mine as a bday present they really do add up, and knowing how some of my friends have to pay for them its relaly difficult.
i think to be honest although having a cc limit is a good idea, most young drivers cant afford powerful cars due to insurance anyway, so i dont think it would make a huge impact as we simply cant afford powerful cars in the first place.
also any car can be as dangerous i know some boy racers at school who have a 1.1 fiesta or a rover metro sumthin like that and they still dangerously break speed limites, whereas other people obey speed limits in much more pwerful cars!
 

samsaccount

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I don't think making it harder will help as much though.
These youngsters learn to drive reach the standard needed and therefor pass their driving test but then fail to carry on driving in the safe manner after passing.

So the driving test becomes harder......would that stop people from driving 'badly' after passing it?
 

I_A_P

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yes also another good point imperium....i mean although the pass rate is really low people do still pass, peopledo not drive to test standard when they pass, i mean even my parents and other older drivers i know who are very experinced and safe drivers would probably not be able to pass a test without knowing " how to pass" beforehand as there are so many right and wrong ways of doing things!
 

UKa

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Hi, I feel that the test could be conducted DIFFERENTLY to assess the REAL driving ability of the person assessed. Personally I have made various attempts to pass the test so far and have failed on ONE thing each time when overall my driving is really safe so I am really annoyed that they just dont take that into account when assessing you, all that counts is ONE mistake and you are out. They should as I say assess the overall competence much more and make a judgement based on that rather than going by a list of pluses and minuses as they do now.
 

Rambo

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[ QUOTE ]
Hi, I feel that the test could be conducted DIFFERENTLY to assess the REAL driving ability of the person assessed. Personally I have made various attempts to pass the test so far and have failed on ONE thing each time when overall my driving is really safe so I am really annoyed that they just dont take that into account when assessing you, all that counts is ONE mistake and you are out. They should as I say assess the overall competence much more and make a judgement based on that rather than going by a list of pluses and minuses as they do now.

[/ QUOTE ]

The problem is, if you are out on the road for 'real', that ONE mistake could be your last mistake
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They don't fail you for one minor discrepancy...they might fail you for multiple minor discrepancies though
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UKa

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not in my case they didnt - I never make the same mistake and only had 3 minors in my last test. I believe I drive much more safely than many new drivers out there that have passed the test. I am also quite considerate maybe because I am "old" at 35 ...
They do different types of tests in different countries and I feel the system here is not helping
 

I_A_P

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rambo i agree...i personally never thought i was going to pass my test as every lesson i kept gettin told i was doing something wrong...enver anything major at all so i didnt feel all that confident about it. however i passed first time with 2 minors so i could not have been that bad afterall, and i think my instructor was nit-picking so that i really could be as good as i could possibly be before my test.
majors are only given out for dangerous driving such as pulling ut dangerously orsomething like that, also you can be a safe driver but if your not very confident then to be honest it could become dangerous.

i do agree however that it would hae been nice that your instructor could say yes you are ready to be let loose on the roads and pass you when they know you are good enough or something along those lines, however if you are a good enough driver you will pass the test anyway and to have continuos assesments in that way may ean you are taken for a ride by your instructor!
 

UKa

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[ QUOTE ]
majors are only given out for dangerous driving such as pulling ut dangerously orsomething like that,

[/ QUOTE ] ...not in my case it was stuff that coudl have been interpreted either way to be honest.

My instructor is also very picky and I am not an overly careful driver either.

Ah well, touchy subject with me the test but I do feel that a change to a different assessment would be good.
 

I_A_P

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no i know it acn be annoying and i know friends who have been through she same thing and i wasnt trying to be arguementative!
 

UKa

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one time I did not immediately "see" a green light at a roundabout after stopping

next time I pulled off after a traffic light standing downhill and pulled up the clutch a tiny bit too fast so that the car wobbled a bit but the traffic was slow behind and I drove off fine afterwards...
 

clipclop

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Rambo. I totally agree with you.

I passed my test when the test was easy. I knew the dangers of driving yet I drove fast. (I don't think you appreciate speed until you have hit something at speed!! Then you quickly learn why too fast is too fast!!

My driving slowed up after I passed my Heavy Goods and started driving lorries for a living. Being high up meant I could see so much "Awful and dangerous" driving going on that it scared me enough to slow down.

The moment a young driver gets in to a car on their own it is just an awsome feeling of freedom. Your right foot becomes heavy and the adrenalin rush is mahoosive. You are free, independant and sooooo cool!! The road is yours and yours only. I remember that feeling like it was yesterday.

I now drive like an old fart.
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emma69

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A graduated licence scheme like they have here in Canada. You have to do a mandatory number of hours in the classroom and lessons in the car, and you do more than one test (a basic first test, to make sure you are safe to go out on the road and a second 'proper' test)

Other measure I think would help - making the alcohol limit zero, limiting the number of passengers in the car, making a 'limiter' for car radios mandatory, and cracking down on cosmetic enhancements on cars that impair visibility (writing, very dark tints etc) would help, and a curfew that bans people from driving between 11pm and 6am for the first year after passing their test.
 

samsaccount

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How exactly would making the test harder stop though?
Like i said the test is there to set a standard and it is up to the driver to carry on that standard after passing....if people don't do that then accidents can happen....so how will increasing the standard stop the accidents from happening?

I just think there are more reasonable alternatives, limiting what size engine you can drive, amount of passengers (or their age such as only 2 people between x age and y age) or 3 over tha age of y age, perhaps?)
 
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