Hi jacked What's the point!

[CXRAndy]

They are efficient but alot of older drivers are truely terrible and really should have hung up the car keys. We do need stricter testing, like being able to see.

Had first hand experience with FIL, and SIL more recently who was driving about with two cataracts that were urgently operated on when she finally went for an eye test. She still cant see properly but is driving.

I believe every 5 year retesting. For everyone.

My wife phoned me yesterday to see if I could come and help a young women driver get out of her car which was laying on its side in a roadside ditch. Granted it's a bad bend, frequently we see vehicles laid in the ditch. My wife managed to get the young lady to climb out of the boot, as the doors had locked themselves. Whilst she composed herself she told my Mrs where she was going. She gladly took her to nearby destination where friends were waiting. On the journey the young lady casually said, Oh I texted my friends that I would be only a few minutes.




Yep you guessed it, the car lay in a ditch a few minutes from her destination.

I hope she's learnt from this life lesson !

 

[Drago]

I anted it's a bad bend, frequently we see vehicles laid in the ditch.

The bend is benign. It neither knows nor cares.

It's the drivers that are bad.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

The bend is benign. It neither knows nor cares.

It's the drivers that are bad.

There are corners that appear to be easier than they are until you get to them and signs and other road furniture can help people realise

but if they are texting friends as they go round it every sign in the world won;t help!

 

[Drago]

There are corners that appear to be easier than they are until you get to them and signs and other road furniture can help people realise

The trick there is to drive at a speed appropriate to the distance you can clearly see ahead.

People used to be taught this fundamental concept when they learned to drive.

 

[CXRAndy]

The trick there is to drive at a speed appropriate to the distance you can clearly see ahead.

People used to be taught this fundamental concept when they learned to drive.

I taught my kids something very similar,

drive at a speed where you can stop the car for the road you can see.

 

[Profpointy]

I taught my kids something very similar,

drive at a speed where you can stop the car for the road you can see.

And on a single track road, half that distance, as the other fella needs the same distance as well, even assuming he is driving sensibly.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

And on a single track road, half that distance, as the other fella needs the same distance as well, even assuming he is driving sensibly.

Yup - people forget that
They get so used to driving on normal roads that they get it wrong on single track roads

When I lived in Wales the main roads through Bangor always got clogged up so we often used the single roads around the back - like a lot of locals
But you had to get used to driving to the conditions and assuming that there was a nutter round the next corner going far too fast and on his phone

 

[Drago]

On a single track road always go slow enough to be able to stop if a loon comes towards you. If they smack into you it's nigh on impossible for you to be at fault at any level if youre stationary with the handbrake (or modern equivalent) applied.

 

[Chislenko]

Be aware, that if renewing licence at age 70, and you wish to keep, for example, class C1 (to all you to drive vehicles > 3500kg, eg. Some motorhome), you need to do it “manually” and have a medical.

Yes, it did state that on the website but as I only drive cars nowadays it didn't bother me personally.

And just to get back onto the original theme of this thread, Mrs. C applied on line for her new passport on Friday, she has just had a text to say it will be delivered tomorrow (Tuesday) So four days including a weekend just before Christmas to me is exceptional service.

 

[Vapin' Joe]

I believe every 5 year retesting. For everyone.

Impossible.

Around 800,000 L tests are conducted each year and the average waiting time is around six months. The UK has 42 million full licence holders, a retest every five years would mean another 8.2 million tests being conducted, ten times the number now. There are nowhere near the number of examiners, test centres and booking staff to cope with that and there probably never could be.

On top of that, as an ex ADI I don't think retesting would have any effect on driving standards at all. How people behave on test conditions and then in the real world are completely different.

 

[Drago]

Just make bans permanent.

Getting a ban is hard work, requiring persistent offending over time, or one almighty whopping great nasty piece of offending.

Once a ban is earned, that should be it for life.

Back it up with mandatory prison for disqualified driving.

The loons will carry on and soon be off the road. The more run of the mill thoughtless-rather-than-willfully-reckless may pay more attention, and if they dont its their problem.

Upshot - safer roads as those that create danger are removed from it.

Of course itll never happen. Road criminals seem to think theyre a hard done by sector of society and wield sufficient voting influence that no politician would have the stones to prod that hornets nest.

 

[oxoman]

I'm all for permanently banning those that get banned for whatever reason. I'm also all for a 5 yr eye test for all drivers starting from the day you apply for.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Impossible.

Around 800,000 L tests are conducted each year and the average waiting time is around six months. The UK has 42 million full licence holders, a retest every five years would mean another 8.2 million tests being conducted, ten times the number now. There are nowhere near the number of examiners, test centres and booking staff to cope with that and there probably never could be.

On top of that, as an ex ADI I don't think retesting would have any effect on driving standards at all. How people behave on test conditions and then in the real world are completely different.

I agree
It might filter out the morons who "know best" but most people have the sense to drive better and keep calm when on a test

and it would cause chaos and cost a fortune to set up
and achieve very little

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Just make bans permanent.

Getting a ban is hard work, requiring persistent offending over time, or one almighty whopping great nasty piece of offending.

Once a ban is earned, that should be it for life.

Back it up with mandatory prison for disqualified driving.

The loons will carry on and soon be off the road. The more run of the mill thoughtless-rather-than-willfully-reckless may pay more attention, and if they dont its their problem.

Upshot - safer roads as those that create danger are removed from it.

Of course itll never happen. Road criminals seem to think theyre a hard done by sector of society and wield sufficient voting influence that no politician would have the stones to prod that hornets nest.

They certainly need to crack down of the people who commit an offence - then another then another
and then are suddenly shocked that they get a ban and claim that it will have a massive effect on their life and they are very very very sorry
and get let off the ban

no - you had the warning - you had the chance to change - you ignored it

 

[Vapin' Joe]

They certainly need to crack down of the people who commit an offence - then another then another
and then are suddenly shocked that they get a ban and claim that it will have a massive effect on their life and they are very very very sorry
and get let off the ban

no - you had the warning - you had the chance to change - you ignored it

Anyone who collects twelve points in three years has no right to claim "Special circumstances" as a reason for not getting a ban. But a good reason for being declared too stupid to hold a driving licence.