Safe Speed Forums

On shortly:

Real Story
Wed 21 Feb, 7:30 pm - 8:00 pm 30mins
Testing the L Test

A quarter of drivers who die in traffic accidents are under 25. With pressure on the Department for Transport to make its test tougher for teenagers, Real Story puts three 18 year olds, who passed first time, through its own advanced road exam. Can they cope with motorways, country lanes, night driving and skidding?

With Hugh Noblett (who some of you might know).

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

This still makes my blood boil....

Why is it that Motorcylists are restricted with what they can ride and under 21s have an absolute maximum power rating of 33 bhp, yet young/new car drivers do not have the same restrictions?

This disparity is set to become more apparent with the 3rd european driving license directive - it looks to become even more challenging for motorcyclists to get their license.

_________________
"Are you sh**ing me?"
"John Spartan, you are fined one credit for a violation of the verbal morality statute."

To be perfectly honest I don't think that restricting bhp in a car would have THAT much of an effect. (I don't really have too much of a problem with the M/C licencing system as it stands ATM).

I do think there should be restrictions on times / places of travel and number of passengers until further training has been passed though.

_________________
Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

I missed the start of the programme, but two out of the three were truly appalling. The girl was terrified of roundabouts and didn't know what main beam was for when driving at night. One of the men was a typical chav driver who thought he was invincible behind the wheel.

The good thing is that for the most part the programme highlighted the problems of driver attitude and skills rather than banging on about speeding for half an hour

I did think it was a little unfair on younger drivers.... there was no control group of 'non young' drivers.....

Lack of awareness, inconsist driving, poor attitude are (I'd have thought) problems with the general driving population not just the young or newly qualified.

A thought occured to me the other day. It's specualtive but I reckon it's worth thinking about.

Is it possible so many drivers (particularly the newly qualified ones) are becoming selfish and arrogant, and acting as though they were invincible because as child pedestrians they are not taught proper road safety? There is this constant message through TV adverts and anti-car propoganda that someone else is always to blame: car drivers are labelled 'speeders' and you are morally superior to them as a pedestrian even if you walk into the road at a red man without looking. Is this same attitude continuing in the minds of youngsters after they start driving?

I think you overcomplicate your case Zamzara, you do not need to mention road safety and speeders simply

"Current culture teaches" that someone else is always to blame...

_________________
Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

When I drop my son off at school, I am frankly appalled by the manner in which the pupils use the road - failing to cross at appropriate places, walking across at an oblique angle, walking in the gutter, and stepping off the pavement straight into the paths of vehicles.
Along with this are some who feel it's OK to balance along the top of a drystone wall (=ROUGH) right alongside the A591!

The only ones who seem to have any sense at all (I have yet to fault one in two years) are the ones who cycle.

At a guess, I would say that an unmarked traffic car could pick out the worst of the pedestrians AND parent car drivers and get at least 10 - 15 into court within 30 - 45 minutes at start / finish times! However it's unlikely - the council are trying to get a 30 mph limit along the A591 which will have drivers who already drive at 30 - 34 at busy times, watching their speedos as they approach the inevitable speed cameras which will appear to enforce the limit.
My prediction is that those that chose to drive well below the new limit will be bunched up closer, presenting fewer opportunities for cars to exit the school driveway. The dicey get out will become worse as drivers decide to lunge at the slightest opportunity.
So it's not just motorists who are inept - road planners too must shoulder some of the blame for their blinkered approach to road safety.

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

From what I saw in that programme, I really felt sorry for that advanced driving instructor. One of those 18 year-old drivers (I won't say which one) is an accident waiting to happen-and one he may not walk away from. I disliked the way he sneered at that instructor, defying every instruction he was given. When you're given one-to-one tuition like that, don't turn your nose up at it.

It's funny how nothing seemed to work with that young driver-except phobia indoctrination by Brake. Yet with all, he was still branded a failure by the instructor.

_________________
Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.