toltec wrote:
Herbie J wrote:
Your ideas could only work if all road users were brought up to a much much higher standard of skill, judgement, knowledge and understanding than they are right now. If I give the impression that I think most road users are a bit thick when they take to the road, its not meant to be an impression, its meant to be a deliberate statement that I do think it.
what you suggest requires a level of intelligence and ability , Im sorry to tell you that you are unlikely to find much on british roads.
Dragged back from the dead.
Theoretically, using IQ as a measure, most of the population is a bit thick when compared to me, however this is not the impression I form of most people I meet thankfully. I think this is because most everyday tasks, of which driving is one, do not really require the application of much intelligence to perform well or competantly, learnt skills and behaviour suffice. Higher intelligence may well increase the learning speed and the ability to learn through observation and experience as well as promote performance at the highest level. This does not mean that it is necessary to aquiring the skill to drive competantly if adequate training is applied, if anything the intelligence is needed by the trainers so they can find a way to get the information across effectively.
Of course it may just be that I am unwilling to accept that road safety has to be geared to the lowest common denominator. Far too depressing to contemplate.
I dont consider many people to be lacking intelligence or having a reasonable IQ but where driving is concerned is the only focus of my 'thicky' comment. It matters not the intelect/formal education/professional quals or even IQ when it comes to driving. The combination of skills/judgement/awareness/concentration and understanding the required knowledge and having the will to apply it consistantly is what makes people from all walks of life become a bit thick or incompetent when driving. From experience , often the most difficult to teach, are demanding/ unwilling self believers and the very well educated.Higher intelligence or education doesnt always generate a will to learn things that are of little importance to them nor does it show a will to learn correctly. Many brainy people only do enough to get a licence as they feel they already know
You cannot change a clever dick with training if they do just enough to pass then do what the hell they want, can you? After all many just want a car to get to Uni or as transport for their high rolling promotion etc. Im not suggesting all bright people are like this but I have come across enough to know there are many who are.
The lowest common denominator is far more common that you might think, I witness poor driving in abundance every single day and lousy and dangerous driving at least once or twice a day depending on how often Im on the road (
that sounds funny, Id better stop doing it
)..if you dont see the lowest common denominator as often as I do , please tell me where you live cos Id like to move there
You may have a point about instructors though as I have seen enough of them over the years to ,in some way,agree with your point, but not all are in that catagory. You can teach an individual way beyond the requirement, but you cannot mind meld like Mr Spock nor can you tell what an individual will decide to do once they have that pass cert. people have freedom of choice, if they choose to be a thicky, they will be.