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Do you support graduated driving licenses?

Do you support graduated driving licenses?

  • Total voters
    51
GaryH said:
Thing is if the government is really truely wanting safer roads then you don’t need all this legislation.

All we need are decent road surfaces free from potholes and where cars, motorbikes and cycles can travel without fear of skidding or hitting a hole which damages their vehicle or worse still causes a fatality.

The fact we are constantly looking at other causes of road accidents rather than the most important thing - the contact between the tyre and the road really annoys me!
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I'm certain road surfaces aren't the main contributing factor to road accidents.

I think a perfectly laid bit of tarmac with no speed restrictions, licensing restrictions, drink driving laws, mobile device bans etc. would be anything but a "safer road".

"All this legislation" is needed
 
I would like to see stricter enforcement of driving laws but
a. I don't think anything would be gained by aiming driving restrictions at young people (I know many young people who are perfectly capable drivers) and
b. Public transport needs to be a viable alternative for those who cannot be trusted behind the wheel. (By this I mean reasonably priced, reliable and frequent - good luck with that outside London)
 
The amount of roads I have been along recently in residential areas where the anti skid surface has worn away and been replaced by numerous potholes.

Not only does this make the driver focus on the road not the surroundings but also damages the cars tyres and suspension in the long term which increases braking distances. Not to mention should they need to do an emergency stop, the car is more likely to skid.

Add to this cyclists and motorbikes swerving to avoid these holes and it’s no wonder there are accidents. In fact I think a driver was killed in a crash recently trying to avoid a pothole (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/council-warned-massive-potholes-road-32745777.amp)

UK roads are already extremely safe, I believe third safest in Europe.

www.timeout.com

The UK is officially one of Europe’s safest places to drive

Road trip, anyone?
www.timeout.com www.timeout.com

So while having a new driver start in a low powered car is a good idea, as is having more traffic police to catch those under the influence or driving like a numpty (because slow drivers can also be a danger) if we really truly want be roads to be safer for everyone, we need to address the road surfaces as a priority.

Better surfaces, better markings where there have worn, anti skid surfaces, and having the street lights on would also make a difference for everyone.
 
GaryH said:
They can also throw cyclists and those on motorbikes over the handlebars into oncoming traffic with potentially fatal consequences.
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Well aware of the fact, I am a cyclist, but I repeat the point, potholes slow down traffic, smooth roads mean faster traffic.
Masses of statistical evidence over the years.
Cyclists and motorbikes tend to watch where they are going and avoid potholes...often moving out into traffic flow to slow motor traffic further.
It is very difficult to be thrown from a cycle, into oncoming traffic, on a normal road.
Possible, but extremely unlikely.
 
Problem is potholes and poor road surfaces over time damage suspension and tyres. On a fast moving road where a quick stop is needed, bad suspension can increase the braking distance. Not to mention emergency vehicles using the roads needing repairs more often and risking further injury to those inside with potential spinal injuries.

As much as potholes may slow down traffic, they are dangerous. We pay a lot of money in road tax, we should expect to have decent roads.

Ps. I’ve been thrown head over the handlebars a few years ago after hitting a pothole. The bike stopped dead… I didn’t. Landed in the middle of the road. Thankfully it was a quiet road and the oncoming car stopped to help and drive me home. Photos below of my skin. Thank god I had a helmet on.
 

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After my finest bike road rash...more face and arm...I did t'ultimate the following day.
Bloody fool, but excellent ride photo.
 
Matt.GC said:
I don't do grassing and snitching and opticians probably should be informing and trusting their patients to do the right thing. But if I knew someone who rolled out of a pub slaughtered and got into a car every evening, or that someone was going out every day driving around without a driving license, I wouldn't just stand by and let it happen. If you know that someone can't see well enough, yet they purposely ignore it and continue to drive, then surely you have a duty to act?
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Generally speaking opticians don’t follow their patients out of the practice to see if they get into a car. That’s the issue.

That’s why it should be mandatory to have regular sight tests and mandatory that the results of that test are reported to DVLA as standard.
 
Matt N said:
Hi guys. In recent days, a bill in the House of Commons regarding graduated driving licenses in the UK has been gaining ground. Put forward by a Labour MP, the bill is gaining cross party support, and it will be voted on very soon.

For those unaware, the idea of graduated driving licenses is that new drivers under 25 still have restrictions on their driving. For example, there may be rules such as a requirement to still have an older chaperone in the car at certain times at very least, a ban on driving at night, a ban on carrying more than a certain number of young passengers in the car, and a complete ban on drinking before driving as opposed to the regular drink-driving limit of one or two pints.

More info can be found via this link from the RAC: https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/news/driving-law/graduated-driving-licences-launched-to-tackle-overconfident-young-drivers/#:~:text=The purpose of GDLs is,these involved a young driver.

With this in mind, I’d be interested to know; what are people’s thoughts on the idea of graduated driving licenses for new drivers under the age of 25?

Personally, I’m undecided.

On one hand, I can see the logic behind this idea. 17-24 year olds have a high rate of road traffic accidents, and having been around 17-24 year olds, there are definitely some overconfident drivers in my age group who will take risks on the road. Some of the suggested rules do make sense to me as well.

On the other hand, the idea of still being heavily restricted after passing does feel like a bit of a kick in the teeth when I’ve been learning for 2 years. Many of the suggested rules wouldn’t really affect me at all, but some of them, such as potentially still needing a chaperone beside you, would be a real kick in the teeth for me.

The other interesting statistic that I’ve heard cited by critics of this idea is that those aged under 25 actually have lower accident casualty rates per billion miles driven than those aged over 85, and that the over-80s as an age group have a similar, if not higher, accident casualty rate than under-25s: https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...sheet-2021#contributory-factors-in-collisions

Rightly or wrongly, some argue that if over-80s do not have any additional restrictions on their driving, then under-25s shouldn’t either.

So from a logical standpoint, I get this idea, but from an emotional one, I don’t particularly like the idea.

In fairness, however, I should acknowledge that I probably can’t give a fair, impartial judgement seeing as I will (hopefully) soon be in the demographic directly affected by this legislation if I eventually pass my driving test. With this in mind, my opinion on this probably isn’t overly valid.

But I’d be keen to know; what are your thoughts on graduated driving licenses?
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100% support graduated driving licenses or even increasing the minimum age to start driving. I think 17 is too young to be driving your mates around, especially for boys. There was a crash near me the other week and it was a group of school kids on their lunch break driving to McDonald’s. The lad had only passed his test the day before
 
Dave said:
Generally speaking opticians don’t follow their patients out of the practice to see if they get into a car. That’s the issue.

That’s why it should be mandatory to have regular sight tests and mandatory that the results of that test are reported to DVLA as standard.
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I have eye tests yearly anyway but looking at my license it has code 01 which means with eye correction so that could indicate some kind of reporting goes on unless that’s just standard?
 
I vaguely recall being asked if I needed corrective lenses when I applied for my licence, so that'll be where the 01 code comes from.
 
BigT said:
I have eye tests yearly anyway but looking at my license it has code 01 which means with eye correction so that could indicate some kind of reporting goes on unless that’s just standard?
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You self declare that I think.
 
I don’t remember to be honest but it was a very long time ago I got my license.

Don’t see the problem with medical professionals declaring medical issues with the DVLA personally but as someone said it could prevent someone going to see that medical professional in the first place if it was an auto reporting system.
The problem starts I guess if the person doesn’t declare it and hits someone then chances are the insurance will fail to pay out.
 
Mandatory Speed Limiters to be fitted to cars from July 2024

www.autotrader.co.uk

Mandatory speed limiters on UK cars from July 2024 | AutoTrader

All new vehicles sold in Europe – including the UK – will be fitted with a mandatory speed limiter from 2024 to keep cars within the UK speed limits and boost road safety.
www.autotrader.co.uk www.autotrader.co.uk

Just to start by saying I am not against speed limits (sensible ones, i.e. not how Wales have done it), I have never had points on my licence either. My car has a speed limiter fitted which isn't mandatory but I can turn on if I wish. I use it quite often but this news it will be turned on mandatory and will need to be deactivated by the driver at the start of every journey does worry me.

My car uses a camera in the windscreen to read the signs, and also GPS from the maps. Quite often I will be cruising down a 50/60/70mph road when the speed warning goes off because the camera has detected a road sign on a side road being a much lower speed. There is one section I drive each day which is 70 but it detects a 20mph sign on an adjacent road. If the speed limiter was on, the car would slam on the brakes. In other cases, the GPS speed is wrong due to road works which have since vacated the area, but the maps haven't updated.

I see this as yet another level of control being taken away from the driver. Maybe in the future when the tech is better yes, but right now, it could result in a lot of rear end shunts from drivers without the speed limiters installed.
 
You get in, you press a switch, you stick your foot down to speed up over the limit.

Bit clickbatey, matey!

Override easy...
 
GaryH said:
I see this as yet another level of control being taken away from the driver. Maybe in the future when the tech is better yes, but right now, it could result in a lot of rear end shunts from drivers without the speed limiters installed.
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I noticed something like this on my drive to Drayton the other day. In the average speed zone roadworks of the motorway so i put my cruise control on 50mph, the Tesla in front kept hard braking randomly despite nothing in front of them and deactivating my cruise control. Moved lanes to get away from them and noticed they were just continuously doing it on a completely clear road, presume it was on some automated setting but was dreadful. Or possibly the driver was incompetent.
 
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