Learners to use motorways from next year

[Stratman]

Motorway lessons for learner drivers confirmed for 2018 (BBC)

Learner drivers in England, Wales and Scotland will be allowed to have lessons on the motorway by next year, the government has announced.
The Department for Transport (DfT) said lessons would be in a dual-control car with an approved driving instructor.
Currently only those who have passed their test can drive on a motorway, but in 2015 the DfT said it would consider a law change.

more...

 

[LTD]

Sooner it becomes part of the test - the better.

Too many middle lane ****ers using the motorway at present.

 

[Stratman]

While I approve of the principle, I'll be interested to see how Cornish or Highland drivers for instance complete a motorway section of the test.

 

[Dave Richardson]

While I approve of the principle, I'll be interested to see how Cornish or Highland drivers for instance complete a motorway section of the test.

Have the Cornish seen roads yet? Horses & carts down there mate.

 

[Dryce]

Too many middle lane ****ers using the motorway at present.

I doubt it will make the slightest bit of difference to this particular facet of motorway driving behaviour.

 

[MancMike]

As soon as I passed my test, the same day, we hit the motorway and went somewhere. It was all just common sense, very logical. Stay left unless you're overtaking, match motorway speed on the slip road, etc... I was slightly nervous, but that lasted about 5 minutes...

I've someone in the family who's so terrified of driving, she won't go on a motorway ever and won't tackle roundabouts, honestly she'll take massive detours to avoid them. She's a terrible driver, but mainly due to nerves. Maybe some tuition from her driving school would have helped.

 

[clk320x]

As soon as I passed my test, the same day, we hit the motorway and went somewhere. It was all just common sense, very logical. Stay left unless you're overtaking, match motorway speed on the slip road, etc... I was slightly nervous, but that lasted about 5 minutes...

I've someone in the family who's so terrified of driving, she won't go on a motorway ever and won't tackle roundabouts, honestly she'll take massive detours to avoid them. She's a terrible driver, but mainly due to nerves. Maybe some tuition from her driving school would have helped.

Same here...

motorways are the easiest roads to drive on in my opinion

 

[stwat]

As soon as I passed my test, the same day, we hit the motorway and went somewhere. It was all just common sense, very logical. Stay left unless you're overtaking, match motorway speed on the slip road, etc... I was slightly nervous, but that lasted about 5 minutes...

The same here. We went for a trip to Manchester from Sheffield. Or Madchester as it was known in those heady days

 

[geraldrobins]

While I approve of the principle, I'll be interested to see how Cornish or Highland drivers for instance complete a motorway section of the test.

I think the same can be said for many areas.

 

[rf065]

Sooner it becomes part of the test - the better.

Too many middle lane ****ers using the motorway at present.

Not sure it will make any difference at all, witnessed last week a small hatchback with green P plates sitting on the outside lane of a dual c/way at 40mph with a queue of 30 cars behind it for 2 miles before it pulled over.

Given the P plates mean they recently passed their test and dual c/ways are already used by learners, you have to ask if they have been taught or learned anything?

Russ

 

[GeeJayW]

Getting on and getting off the motorway needs confidence and forward thinking, both challenging areas for learners.

Lane discipline is very poor in the UK. I'm convinced a lot of it is down to our 'keeping our place in the queue' mentality. Does my head in!

 

[mbsilver]

Sooner it becomes part of the test - the better. Too many middle lane ****ers using the motorway at present.

It's not just middle lane hoggers now with more lanes it seems lanes 2,3 and 4 are also guilty.

But it does annoy me to be in lane 1 and passing traffic in lane 2 and 3! If I then overtake in lane 1 it would look like I was undertaking, but that's a different debate.
Never understood why we never got taught motorway driving when we started to learn?


have a great sunny day ( Sunday!)

 

[geraldrobins]

It's not just middle lane hoggers now with more lanes it seems lanes 2,3 and 4 are also guilty.

But it does annoy me to be in lane 1 and passing traffic in lane 2 and 3! If I then overtake in lane 1 it would look like I was undertaking, but that's a different debate.
Never understood why we never got taught motorway driving when we started to learn?


have a great sunny day ( Sunday!)

Motorway driving has been in the highway code since the 60s. I was asked a question about motorway driving on my test in 1967.
Being taught motorway driving has to be a good thing surely. And to put anyones mind at rest it has to be done with dual control vehicles. I doubt instructors will take learners out on a busy motorway at their first trial.

 

[grober]

So it would appear that motorway driving by learner drivers is to be permitted under controlled conditions. However this is not going to be a compulsory part of the driving test meaning many [ drivers and driving schools ] may still chose to avoid it.

 

[esscee]

When doing the motorway section, the learner is only going to be as good as the instructor at that time.

 

[liamt]

When doing the motorway section, the learner is only going to be as good as the instructor at that time.

Agreed,

I'm not having a dig at all driving instructors, like in all professions there are good and bad but where I live I've seen some driving instructors take people onto dual carriage ways and other major roads and they are clearly not confident enough or have not yet mastered basic control of the vehicle.

That being said I'm glad it is being added to the test. I certainly feel it would have helped me when I was learning.

Liam

 

[zipdip]

Well I suppose it is a good idea,lets face it motorway driving is the easiest driving we do the road is wide and every car should be going in the same direction,and the motorway can be a very friendly place,if you drive in the middle lane lots of people get the chance to wave at you as they pass either side of you,some even want to talk to you, which is silly because your window is up and you have the radio on and there is too much noise to hear them,the only real problem is what lane do you use when the motorway has 4 lanes,that is a very big problem,maybe I should start a thread.

 

[Stratman]

I've seen more than a few cars on motorways, obviously owned by driving instructors, showing pretty poor standards of driving. Not keeping left, not indicating when changing lane and so on.

 

[219]

While I approve of the principle, I'll be interested to see how Cornish or Highland drivers for instance complete a motorway section of the test.

There is no proposal to incorporate motorway driving into the test - only to encourage tuition under controlled conditions .

Many test centres are too far from motorways for this to be possible .

 

[GeeJayW]

Having thought about this some more, I think the biggest danger will be introducing drivers to the motorway that actually drive according to the Highway Code, use the lanes correctly and adhere to the speed limits!

Rarely see that kind of driving on the motorway. It'll be a disaster..