sounds like lies, lies and damn statistics to me - i'd never bank on getting better mileage on an a road, driving any car i've ever had under any conditions... bar the TT @ 1*5+ mph...Originally Posted by 5lab
yes, but the same can be said of motorways ffs - i could print of soo many examples but i'm bored of it now - motorways are generally quite well used because people need them. full stop. please.
no. the same can *NOT* be said of any motorway. any town is accessible through non-motorway roads. hence why the government is able to put a restriction on what travels on those roads. some towns are ONLY accessible thru a-roads. this is not the case with motorways. at all. ever.yes, but the same can be said of motorways ffs - i could print of soo many examples but i'm bored of it now - motorways are generally quite well used because people need them. full stop. please.
hughlunnon@yahoo.com | I have sigs turned off..
Despite my inability to see how this affects the topic - 1 year of lessons before test - I would argue this:
If we didn't need motorways - then why did we build them? Seemed like a good idea at the time? or was it to relieve congestion on A roads? Hmm, I'll let you work that one out...
The difference in economy on A roads versus Motorways has nothing to do with their construction, simply the ways in which we choose to drive on them. On my pass plus I quite happily sat at 65, in the middle lane, overtaking the lorries stuck at 55/56 whatever their limiter is. If some silly sod decides that they want to bomb down the motorway at 100-120 then thats fine by me - aslong as they don't hurt anyone else. It is their fuel bill afterall.
5lab - as much as I usually agree with you - I believe Motorways are the backbone of our roadnetwork. I for one would rather see another car on the motorway than one driving like a nutter through rural roads that they don't really know or don't really need to use.
Dave
Lessons for a year first is a good idea in theory, But I think some people will be 'ready' quicker than others at the end of the day. Also, you may have a real need for a car in less than a year. Having said that, the storys of people going on a 'weekend' course and doing 16 hours of driving to pass their test the next day does worry me a great deal. You can't be ready in that short amount of time in my mind... but everyones is differant, i suppose.
Another idea could be to have differant tests, like they do for bikes.
Maybe something like
Test1 -
No passengers allowed - means no distractions and lets you get on with learning to drive after you pass. Could limit you like this for 6 months say, even 1 month would be benefical. I'm sure alot of accidents are caused within a few weeks by friends putting stupid ideas in an immature new drivers head.
Limit on cars - Although insurance limits most people on their car choice, you can if you choose to get very quick cars in fairly low insurance brackets. I personally know some one who is 19, has no NCB and owns a 2.3 Turbo Saab - Figure that out? Maybe a bhp/weight limit should be enforced, as you have with bikes I believe. Also size and weight should be taken into account.
Test2 -
Take away limit on passenger, or maybe only allow people in over a certain age ?
Up limit on car availabilty
Ideas like that i personally think of more benefical than some suggestions I've head on the news and such. I heard a while back the government would try and stop people under 21 from driving between 8pm and 8am or something.
It's stupid, what if you have a night job? Going on holiday and have a flight at 6am etc. It's a good theory but completly unrealistic.
However you look at this there is a big problem with drivers in the UK, but how much can you do before you turn it into a complete nanny state? We should tackle one problem at a time and hit un-insured drivers, then see how many insured drivers make a mess - look at the trends and deal with accordingly.
Last edited by Gr44; 21-09-2006 at 01:53 AM.
ok, by the same logic it's possible to unicycle between any two towns too, but it's not always pratical - that's my point...
bristol to reading - not using m/ways=<2hrs, using the m4=just over an hour... hmmm :/
of course that's true - unless you wanted bizarrely to travel from one motorway junction to another you're going to have to use a mixture of both m/way and other roads - but try commuting from thirsk to wakefield without - you'd find that pretty hard, pretty long, pretty slow and entirely pointless, unless, as you say, you're not permitted on them... but i'd argue for that commute you pretty much need the a1(m) and m1 as much as you need the car to get to work...
Last edited by J4MES; 21-09-2006 at 07:23 AM.
sorry for the tangent... the germans have to drive on autobhans, at night and in the wet as part of their test - but mile for mile it's no safer on the german roads than ours..
everyone missed my point - one of the suggestions was no motorways for people who just pass : someone piped up that their mate uses motorways alot, i was just trying to make the point that not being able to use motorways, for the first year, would not stop him/her getting where they wanted, it'd just make it a slower/longer journey
motorways are great - if they were all shut down we'd be shafted, but if you were restricted as to going on them for a period of time, it'd just be a pain in the arse, not a restriction on your freedom
hughlunnon@yahoo.com | I have sigs turned off..
including mei think m/ways should either be resticted (like you suggest) or learners should be taught how to use them... properly...
that's how i remember learning too - how to 'operate' not 'drive' the car, and knowledge of the 'rules of the road' not roadcraft - both of which come with experience but both of which should be included in driving tuition... it's all cost though (an the fact that for the amount of cars travelling at the speeds we drive the roads are actually quite safe - compared to other countries)
I don't see a comparison? people won't move house if they can't get cheap Sky or Broadband? People will move test centre if the waiting lists get too long the waiting lists for tests in my area 6 or 7 weeks for a test as it is, I can't see People wanting to wait much longer than that for a test so they'll go to a centre which has a shorter waiting list, then as their is no custom the test centre will close, jobs lost etc etc, so you see it's just not practical
I took a years worth of lessons....about 1 hour a week. I think in total I had 44 Driving lessons, thats 44 hours.
When I started out I wanted to pass as quick as possible, but now I thank god I failed a few times, those extra hours really helped me.
I have a friend who is thinking of getting a driving license in another country, as its easier to pass, I've told him to forget about it, theres nothing harder than driving in central London, and he just wont be prepared for it.
you can do that ^ in cyprus for your 'bike test, but as you said, whats the point? i had the opportunity to but it simply wouldn't prepare you properly even if it would save you hundreds of pounds
If you were glad of the extra lessons, then that means you were not ready for the test and shouldnt have been put in, IMO.
Glad you have passed now though.
And with Motoways, everyone goes on about you learn to drive with experience, so why then ban new drivers off the motorway, what good is that?? they will still have zero experience of a motorway and we will all be in the same position.
I think the lessons should be changed, motorways included, and if you live far from a motorway, then you have a longer lesson!
Also car controll needs to be addressed too, along with the use of gears, the accelerator and the use of the revs, no changing gear at 2.5k to get up a hill (unless diesel!!)
Exactly. banning you from driving on a motorway is not going to tech you how to drive on a motorway is it. Thats a silly billy idea
I didnt have many lessons, and I was ready for the test, passed the theory with 35/35 and passed the test with 1 minor (though that was debatable IMHO). Been a confident driver ever since, with no accidents (touch wood).
Some people just need a lot of tutution and some people dont. You think driving is hard - try flying a helicopter
Butuz
Gimme a helecopter then
There ya go trig. Go easy with it
Butuz
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