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Driving Tests Getting Harder

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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    100hrs is excessive I think 24hrs is probably the minimum you'd need unless you had a natural talent for it. I'm lucky, near me there are a few handy dual carriageways so my instructor had me practice slip roads and my dad took me out at night and I'd driven in all kinds of conditions, along side that, my sister took me out for my first go on the motorway talking me through it which was nice of her. But I think night and motorway lessons would be an improvement on the current system, not everyone has all that available.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Renzo wrote:
    And i'm sure thats the case in every other nation on Earth too.

    Ever been to France? They drive like nutters over there, God knows how time me or my mum nearly got knocked over on holiday.

    I've all but given up trying to learn at the moment, after five fails, and a grand later, its just not worth it when I wouldnt use it to get to work anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote:
    100hrs is excessive I think 24hrs is probably the minimum you'd need unless you had a natural talent for it. I'm lucky, near me there are a few handy dual carriageways so my instructor had me practice slip roads and my dad took me out at night and I'd driven in all kinds of conditions, along side that, my sister took me out for my first go on the motorway talking me through it which was nice of her. But I think night and motorway lessons would be an improvement on the current system, not everyone has all that available.


    See i think you've benefited from actually going out and driving. Though i don't think learners are allowed on the motorways! Actually getting experience spending time behind the wheel, regardless of whether it's with an instructor. I think i had about 20ish hours of actual lessons but i was always going out with my mum, occasionally on some long-ish drives on roads i didn't know. I think it counts for a lot how much you do beyond your lessons.

    Driving lessons teach you how to pass the driving test i think anyway. Who honestly drives like they did in their test?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I will be starting driving lessons soon, but after riding a motorbike for a year my instructor feels confident I shouldn't need too many lessons. We're looking at up to 20 hours really. I've already passed my theory, imagine how long it would take to do 100 hours. A 2 hour lesson a week for a year! That's just ridiculous, especially for those in my situation who have road experience already but just need to get to grips with a car and learn the hoops to jump through to pass the test.

    As for the cost of driving now, I don't have a source but it's relatively more expensive now than for a long time (as in, proportionally to your income). I *think* the 70s were the cheapest, but since then it's just gone up. Also, driving at night and on the motorways, I don't think it's all that different to in the day / on other roads. Adjust your driving for the conditions etc.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    That many hours shouldn't be required, it's too much and too expensive.
    I passed after only 12 I think, though I had driving experience already.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    IAlso, driving at night and on the motorways, I don't think it's all that different to in the day / on other roads.

    Driving at night is definitely different to driving in the daytime. Doesn't take you long to get into it, but I think for people who learn with an instructor and don't get a chance to go out with anyone else (so they don't get a chance to try out driving at night) are at a disadvantage for not having had the experience. Motorways aren't particularly different from dual carriageways, but again not everyone gets the chance to practise on them before they take their test. Dual carriageway driving practice should be compulsory, but motorways are just that little bit faster and I don't really see a reason to lift the ban on learner drivers - or to force people to take pass plus.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sounds expensive, but then with a development disorder I'd probably have to go to a disabled driving school anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    As if it wasn't scary enough!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    buzz wrote:
    See i think you've benefited from actually going out and driving. Though i don't think learners are allowed on the motorways!

    Worry not, it was just after I'd passed.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I had 20 hours tuition about 10 months ago - it got too expensive and I had to stop. 100 hours is ridiculous and I honestly can't believe they'd seriously make that a rule. It's preposterous.

    I did night driving and dual carriageways after about 10 lessons....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I did night driving quite a lot. Mainly because it gets dark early. Bear in mind that the report did say that it was up to 100 lessons. I doubt that it'll be that much. But do people think that there should at least be a minimum amount of lessons by a qualified driving instructor?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No.

    :)

    If you can pass the test then you can drive on the road, nothing left for an instructor to teach you. The only thing thats going to go wrong is where you slip up from lack of experience. But you should just as well have that with your parents or on your own rather than paying £24 an hour (AA hourly charge in Leicester).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think there should be a minimum, or an 'average' number of professional lessons. They recommend 40 hours, and tbh I think that's fair. I've had 20 hours so far and expect to have another 20 before taking my test....
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    pass plus should be compulsary imo. and maybe learning the theory behind the theory tests at school (as part of pse or whatever) would have some affect.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    O_o wrote:
    pass plus should be compulsary imo. and maybe learning the theory behind the theory tests at school (as part of pse or whatever) would have some affect.
    I think learning the theory is pretty pointless until you're actually out there driving, because other than road signs, there's not much you can learn by itself imo. Plus if they're gonna teach kids anything about roads, they should start by teaching them to fucking cross one properly.

    Agreed on the Pass Plus, but perhaps a cut down version of it, because I'm not sure it's practical. If you live in North West Wales, it's quite a trek to the nearest motorway. And I don't know about anyone else, but when I did mine, there was a 1 month waiting list for a test. Imagine if everyone that was doing their test also had to do a full day course. I know you don't need an examiner for the Pass Plus, but I would guess you'd be risking a shortage of instructors.

    I think 40 lessons is still a bit excessive myself, but perhaps, if you have to take into account the person that takes the longest to learn. Personally, I think more of a problem is learning a new car after you've passed your test. When I was learning, my instructor got a new car, and I was making a lot of mistakes in the first few lessons in the new car, that I didn't make previously, just as I was getting used to it. I think a lot of people tend to have crashes soon after they pass, not because they are not up to the standard required, but because they aren't as careful as they should be as they get used to not having someone next to them, along with a new car, which is often not going to be as good as the one they've learned in. I think a lot of the battle is somehow getting people to take it easy in the first few months after their test. There's already the 6 points and you're banned thing in place, which I think is good, but I can't think of anything off the tp of my head that would make people be more careful (and you'd think they'd be more careful in their own car than their instructors really, because they have to pay if it breaks).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Compulsory pass plus, or further testing to pass plus level seems a good idea to me.

    A minimum number of hours of professional lessons I'm less sure about, plenty of people don't need them, plenty of people need a lot lot more than any limit could prescribe.

    I spent a year as a learner, my brother spent about 6 months and my parents, our accident records, our instructor, pretty much everyone agrees I'm the better driver because I got so much experience under supervision, and was more mature when I passed. Maybe keep the age to learn at 17 but take the age for a full license up to 18.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dear Wendy wrote:
    Sounds like good news.
    100 hours seems excessive. But here a certain amount of hours is required, and what you go through during those lessons is already set by whatever authority takes care of such stuff. Meaning that it was compulsary for me to have a lesson after dark and on the motorway.
    I am sorry, but after coming to England I've met a few people who have no clue whatsoever about what they're doing in the car. They shouldn't be on the road in the first place. And these are friends that I am talking about.

    Where is it your from?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    In Austria you have to make one hour of night drive and one hour of motorway. they usually stick it together and you drive at night on the motorway.
    Right now, you need 18 hours of driving before you are allowed to the exam. there are exceptions tho.

    If you have someone who drove for about 5 or 6 years (verifiable) [in my case, my father], and you let the car have a check-up in a car repair shop, you only need 4 mandatory hours of driving in the driving school and you can do the rest in your private car without driving instructor, just your father (for example). It was pretty cool, because my father has a car that's easier to drive than ... dunno, it almost drives for itself.

    So I could even drive that private car for the practical examination.

    because I did ALL 18 hours AND the private driving thingy, and failed the theoretical exam 2 times :blush: , it costed me around 2000€ :crying: , which was and still is a lot for me.

    the private driving thingy costs 50€ ONCE! and you are allowed to drive until judgement day before your exam (a double-hour 2x45 minutes costs 73€ in the morning -> cheapest), so it was a really good option.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Hmmm

    Well the test seems that it will be getting harder.

    I have my 3rd testing coming up very soon now the other 2 test's i failed the first for not using a bus lane and the 2nd a car pulled out on me, and i had to swerve to avoid the car and i got a serious for steering. So close, i will pass my 3rd test i aint going through any of these bazzar idea's of all these extra hours of driving.

    The pressure is on. Big Time - I'll never givin no matter what.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Well I've been a few places and have to say that in general I think we're not too bad at driving. The French and Italians have to be the worst.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think the actual number of hours should be set in stone, as it does vary from person to person.

    However, I do agree with the staggered testing.

    Quite a few friends of mine passed in under 20 lessons within a couple of months and then ended up smashing up their cars because the season changed and they weren't used to the differing road conditions.
    One had passed her test but wouldn't drive in the rain because she never had in a lesson and was scared!

    I think you should have to learn over a certain period of time, and that your instructor should sign off when he/she is happy that you are compentant in that skill in that condition.

    The actual test is a lottery. The 14 minors rule is ridiculous, as is the failing on manovuers.
    I passed fifth time, but never once got more than 2 minors for my driving, one examiner even said my driving was damn near perfect. But I panicked on the manovuers and made silly but not dangerous mistakes (slightly too wide on a reverse round a corner - that sort of thing).

    I definitely agree with the US method of the ten year re-test too.
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