New driving test: next to useless?

[Tonyf33]

There's never going to be any 'radical' change, there has to be a change to attitude's to driving and massively improving the standard BEFORE allowing people to be tested, but all that would be preposterous
We all know the system is rubbish, when you encounter instructors not following the rules of the road when they have their charges at the helm then how can we expect any improvement from the newly qualified drivers!
CTC should be insisting that there IS a section on people using other modes of transport, there MUST be a section on the law and what people in motors must and must not do and what other road users can do and what the results are of micturate poor driving.

Also there should be a compulsary riding on a bike section, say two weeks worth, only exemption is if you are physically unable, the government could employ cycle instructors for this.
There must be a medical paid for by the person intending to drive a motor vehicle to pass including eyesight test.

There MUST be limits in engine power for new drivers, there is absolutely no need at all to have anything over 75bhp, og hang on, now that 'small' cars weigh almost as much as my 'old' large estate they won't reach 0-60 in under 10 s

If we had 1700 people being killed through terrorism every year as well as 22,000 seriously injured you could damn well be sure that people would want protecting from the killers and that the nation would be up in arms about it protesting that something must be done.
Why are deaths by motorvehicle so readily accepted and overlooked?

[AaronR]

Driving test is (a legal minimum) 30 minutes on the road, and you would be mortified to know exactly how low the standard required for a pass is

There will never be two stage testing, compulsory retesting, or any form of graduated licensing as this would be de facto proof that the current test is not proof of 'ability to drive unaccompanied'

There is a consultation running currently, and many more have been done previously which are nothing more than a nod to asking what folks think

Good luck wth your quest

[Flinders]

My son failed recently because at a roundabout with a tricky filter lane, where traffic switches at the last minute when it realizes that it's in the wrong lane regularly, he waited to pull out as his instructor had taught him, instead the examiner was sitting next to him saying 'pull out, what are you waiting for, come on come on your holding up the traffic', when my son tried to discuss it when he failed for this he was told 'it would probably have been okay'. The examiner had another go at him for another junction where my son did it by the book also.

That is just horrifying. I think you or your son would be justified in making a formal complaint to whatever body it is that supervises / accredits driving examiners.

Agreed. 'probably' is just not good enough.
One of my big criticisms of the general attitude of drivers is that they don't do things only when they can see the road is clear, but they pull out when they can't see a problem. Big difference. That means things like people overtaking on blind bends because they can't see anything coming, and if there is a big lorry pulling out slowly onto a roundabout and obstructing their view, traffic will pull out alongside it regardless of the fact that the lorry means they can't see the road is clear (for all they know, a driver can be coming round at speed in the centre lane and spiralling our to turn in front of the lorry into their path). Likewise, people expect me to pull out on the assumption that traffic signalling left coming round a roundabout will turn at the previous junction. I wait until their speed and road position confirms that they aren't going to continue round and hit me if I pull out, because not all drivers are sure of where they are going to turn and may change their minds at the last minute, and some are signalling because they forgot to cancel it earlier.

[Bmblbzzz]

Absolutely agree, Flinders. But it does bear pointing out that most of us cycle like that too! I'm thinking particularly of blind downhill corners. Yes, I know mass and velocity but it's not going to be good for you.

[Tonyf33]

Absolutely agree, Flinders. But it does bear pointing out that most of us cycle like that too! I'm thinking particularly of blind downhill corners. Yes, I know mass and velocity but it's not going to be good for you.

was recently reading comments relating to a hill with walkers, people on bikes and motors (In Australia), the cyclists were blaming pedestrians for not having lights/hi-vis early in the morning as they couldn't see them round a bend. Basically going too fast for their eyesight/reactions and extent of their headlight beam. And yet when a motorist does this...

[Flinders]

Absolutely agree, Flinders. But it does bear pointing out that most of us cycle like that too! I'm thinking particularly of blind downhill corners. Yes, I know mass and velocity but it's not going to be good for you.

I know it is a bit of a counsel of perfection*.
But I do try to do it, all the same- one the bike as well.

*And sometimes you have to come out of a junction where you can't see far enough along the man road, or round a roundabout because of badly placed signs or other obstructions- especially when people habitually speed above the set limits, which have been set to allow time to see traffic, and now, when local authorities don't seem to cut down obstructive herbage when they ought to do so.

[WillRod]

I think we should have a system similar to motorbikes.
They have a theory test, hazard perception test but they also have 2 practicals.
One practical is round a test course and the second is on the road.

You could easily set up scenarios in the test course, including a cardboard cutout of a child stepping out or a cyclist to overtake etc.

[[XAP]Bob]

I think we should have a system similar to motorbikes.
They have a theory test, hazard perception test but they also have 2 practicals.
One practical is round a test course and the second is on the road.

You could easily set up scenarios in the test course, including a cardboard cutout of a child stepping out or a cyclist to overtake etc.

Or both at the same time - make it clear that cyclists have to move around as well.

[ElCampesino]

Does anyone know whether the CTC is lobbying the DVSA/DfT to get a cycling element included in the revised driving test?

EC

[Tonyf33]

Does anyone know whether the CTC is lobbying the DVSA/DfT to get a cycling element included in the revised driving test?

EC

HAHAHAHA, that's a good one!
Even if they were which they aren't/haven't, it's all too late anyway. CTC are about as useful as a chocolate fireguard with respect to changing things for the better (for people on bikes)
Road Justice - nope
Action on lorries - nope
Get Britain cycling - nope (figures say cycling has not increased in England as of 2015 stats)
Space for cycling - nope (except in some restrictive parts of London which is not CTC/CUKs doing)

[ElCampesino]

Um, I would have thought that this is an important priority and one that could potentially have a huge impact on cycling safety and numbers in the UK (probably more so than refurbishing old bikes).

EC