Government proposes driving test changes

[Mr. B]

ANPR cameras aren't common place and in most instances are temporary, there to capture registration plate for speeding offences through roadworks.

I think you are confusing ANPR cameras with SPEC cameras which record average speed over a set distance and are usually found at the site of road works.

ANPR cameras are more widespread than you think.

ANPR cameras which are used by the Police are not used for speeding offences.

Put it this way, every journey you make there is a good chance that it can be tracked via ANPR. (not every journey but most).

 

[Deleted member 65149]

3. All tuition via approved Instructors, no home taught driving.

4. Shake up of the ADI system and level of training for ADI's

Do 4. before 3. I know I'm not alone in having seen ADIs driving badly, and having heard other drivers repeting poor advice received from ADIs. The problem is that the 'A' in ADI stands for 'Approved' and not 'Advanced'. My impression, and I'm sure I'll be corrected by someone who really knows, is that driving instructors receive approval when they have demonstrated that they can safely instruct learner drivers how to pass their driving test. IMHO that's nowhere near enough. Drivers should be taught how to handle a car safely and within the law. One of the consequences of that will be that they can pass their driving test. The main consequence will be that they will start on the road to becomming a good driver.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

It's time to shake this whole thing up but don't penalise the safe young drivers out there who take their responsibilities behind the wheel seriously, Instead reward them and penalise the idiots, who do not necessarily fall into the younger age band.

 

[Adam230K]

Well you clearly haven't.

I have.

Driving standards in the UK are pretty good.

Using brakes in Egypt is for sissies and trucks on an empty road must use the outside lane while occasionally veering across the lane divider. In Malaysia lane markings are there to be straddled and using indicators prior to changing a lane is taken as an active invitation for the driver behind to pass *on that side* and vehicles with children must be overloaded and driven at 20kph over the speed limit.

Well done on incorrectly judging the countries I have/have not visited.

You missed the point I was trying to make. You are comparing apples with pears. The UK is a first world country with proper laws and policies and its inhabitants allegedly care about their country and its laws, whereas the countries you mentioned share none of these traits.

Compare the UK with Germany. Lane discipline in Germany is second to none. They only have 2 lanes on most of their highways because people know how to use them.

 

[Dryce]

Well done on incorrectly judging the countries I have/have not visited.

Same to you: "If you've actually been to any of those countries you'd realise"

You missed the point I was trying to make. You are comparing apples with pears. The UK is a first world country with proper laws and policies and its inhabitants allegedly care about their country and its laws, whereas the countries you mentioned share none of these traits.

They have laws and enforcement of sorts.

So I'd summarise that the UK is (a) pretty good and (b) it's a culture that takes time to develop.

Compare the UK with Germany. Lane discipline in Germany is second to none. They only have 2 lanes on most of their highways because people know how to use them.

My recollection is that Germany is a few notches down the safety chart from the UK.

And I suspect that 2 lanes means more apparent discipline not less simply because there are fewer lanes to mess with. You can't hog the middle lane if there is none to hog.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

Compare the UK with Germany. Lane discipline in Germany is second to none. They only have 2 lanes on most of their highways because people know how to use them.

World Health Organisation report for 2010:

Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle-km:
Republic of Ireleand:.....4.2
Sweden:.......................5.1
United Kingdom:..........5.7
Australia:......................5.8
Germany:.....................7.2
Canada:........................8.2
USA:..............................8.5
Spain:..........................11.7
Greece:........................17.4
Brazil:..........................55.9
United Arab Emirates:.310

But still no excuse for us to get complacent. 5.7 is far too high.

 

[moff]

I think you are confusing ANPR cameras with SPEC cameras which record average speed over a set distance and are usually found at the site of road works.

ANPR cameras are more widespread than you think.

ANPR cameras which are used by the Police are not used for speeding offences.

Put it this way, every journey you make there is a good chance that it can be tracked via ANPR. (not every journey but most).

They're not that wide spread on motorways (major city centres for anti terrorism etc yes), hence the number of mobile ANPR units and I very much doubt that they could be used for the type of enforcement suggested - who is going to maintain this new database? It would need a whole new set of ANPR cameras similar to the requirements for road tolling.

 

[Spinal]

Try Malaysia.

Try Egypt.

And let's not forget India.

I can't say I've driven in Malaysia, but last I drove in Egypt most of the "motorways" didn't have a central divider, side barriers, or lanes... nothing to define it from a UK B-road. The one road with a central barrier was down to Stella - and lane behaviour there was better than the UK. You still had the occasional moron driving in the fast lane, but they promptly moved as you approached them.

India I can't say I've driven much in, only on 2 trips there (on one case an 8-hour journey). Again, I wouldn't classify them as motorways, but B-roads (with poholes)...

 

[David Bird]

Driving standards are dire, Queue jumping a major problem due to many drivers either pig ignorant or ill educated - Lane discipline in general is extremely poor . Very rare to see reasonable driving standard over a long period by anyone.

 

[renault12ts]

World Health Organisation report for 2010:

Road fatalities per 1 billion vehicle-km:
Republic of Ireleand:.....4.2
Sweden:.......................5.1
United Kingdom:..........5.7
Australia:......................5.8
Germany:.....................7.2
Canada:........................8.2
USA:..............................8.5
Spain:..........................11.7
Greece:........................17.4
Brazil:..........................55.9
United Arab Emirates:.310

But still no excuse for us to get complacent. 5.7 is far too high.

You are right about complacency...but is there anywhere lower than the RoI?

 

[flango]

You are right about complacency...but is there anywhere lower than the RoI?

You also need to take the speed limits into account UK Motorway average speed of a passenger car 68 mph get it wrong in a modern car chances are you'll live. Average speed of a passenger car on a German Autobahn 108 mph get it wrong and you are likely to die, simples

That said the average speed in the UK must have the influence of roadworks and congestion with it.

 

[W2--]

I really don't get where Dryce is coming from. The government are trying to improve on driving standard, and yet you get someone saying there is no needs and comparing driving standards with countries that have extremely poor standards. So shall we wait until the driving standard to fall to that level before we act upon?

I have no idea which area you drive, maybe you do drive on roads that people usually have good standards. But if you have a chance go and have a drive on the M25, and you will know why others are pro motorway lessons.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

You are right about complacency...but is there anywhere lower than the RoI?

Of those countries with published data, the only one with a lower figure than RoI is Iceland at 3.9.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

I have no idea which area you drive, maybe you do drive on roads that people usually have good standards. But if you have a chance go and have a drive on the M25, and you will know why others are pro motorway lessons.

The M1 south of Luton seems to be even worse! Must be all those northerners venturing out of their safety zones from time to time.