- Abertillery Online Discussion Forum -

brad · Joined: 02 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

The government is considering making the driving test more difficult!
Does anyone think this will make any difference?
Your opinions please …….

martyn142 · Posted: Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject:

I must say I'm not convinced. The problem with new drivers (for which read young male new drivers mostly) is not that they they don't know the mechanics of driving but that they misuse them or get themselves into situations (eg by driving too fast) where their inexperience tells. I'm not sure how a more difficult test would help this.

Bran Fendigaid · Joined: 04 Oct 2006 Posts: 82 Location: Blaenau Gwent

Do not see that it would make any difference, not all get through first time anyway. Loads go for the concentrated courses these days because you need transport for work here in the valleys and most job applications are request that you are a car/owner/driver. It is more often the misuse as Martin says by speeding. Maybe they should not be allowed to carry passengers for the first year, sometimes young drivers can be egged on by their mates to put their foot down especially if the passenger have had a drink even if you are sober.
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skydog · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 16

What are needed are laws/rules that are practical and enforceable.
Rules such as requiring that `new drivers` do not carry passengers or drive vehicles of limited power etc. would be difficult to enforce.
How would anyone know how long the driver had held a licence?
Perhaps requiring that drivers display their licence in the windscreen, thereby enabling anyone to see that they at least have a licence, would be a good start.

Carolyn · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 1618 Location: Abertillery

http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/...g_family_back_safety_campaign.php
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martyn142 · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject:

Terry · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 9:01 pm Post subject: Displaying licences

I think Skydog had a very good idea. Drivers should display their licences. And as for the problem of swapping cars, I was an ADI for many years and as such I taught in both manual and automatic cars and had to transfer my ADI licence, which had to be displayed in the windscreen, to whichever car I was using at the time.
I found it no hardship or problem.

Carolyn · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 1618 Location: Abertillery

Really

Not as I remember Wink

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My life is no rehearsal There'll be no curtain call encore, so I've thrown my screwed up script away to ad lib my life once more!

Terry · Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2007 11:18 pm Post subject: ?

Not as you remember what Carolyn?

martyn142 · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 12:19 pm Post subject:

How would this help exactly? I can see a lot of sense in adopting the French law of having to display evidence of insurance on your windscreen. This relates to the car itself so if it is parked etc then the evidence can be viewed.

The licence though relates to the driver. If the car is being driven it can't be seen obviously, unless you have VERY good eyesight! If it is parked then it isn't relevant as no one is driving it. If the car is stopped by the police etc then surely it makes more sense for the driver to have to carry a licence rather than have it displayed in the car?

Having said that I don't see how that would help improve driving behaviour since most of the drivers causing problems are licenced anyway so proving it would be no problem and no deterrent.

Terry · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 1:50 pm Post subject: Displaying licences

martyn142 · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:07 pm Post subject: Re: Displaying licences

Terry · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:32 pm Post subject: Re: Displaying licences

[quote="martyn142"]

martyn142 · Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:41 pm Post subject:

Of course you can see they are there but what good is that???

You are no doubt aware that you have to display a VALID ADI licence not just a green square and a VALID road licence not just a round piece of paper. If you can see that both are valid as a car passes you at 30mph (or more likely 50mph) then were you reconstructed at a cost of $6 million?

skydog · Joined: 10 Nov 2006 Posts: 16

So what about vehicles waiting at Junctions/Traffic Lights/Pedestrian crossings etc.?
Surely a driving licence, or for that matter any other valid document being displayed, would be clearly readable