Driving tests to be changed AGAIN

[Itchy]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/4952580/Learner-drivers-face-test-on-following-road-signs.html

[LeeR]

Sounds rather good to me, and it'll remind people that they don't actually need sat nav.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...

[G]

Having passed my tests (though I'd still like to do LGV at some point), I'm all for the government making money out of making the test tougher . It does seem that quite often new drivers have little idea of how to get to where they want to go, which isn't helped with the typical nervousness. My parents often made me 'navigate' when in the car as a kid, perhaps so I wouldn't suffer these issues!

[nowhere.elysium]

There's no harm in making the test itself tougher: the obvious hope is that it'll turn out some better drivers/riders/road users.
The real problem lies with the police not identifying all of the illegal/bloody stupid road users that put the rest of us in danger. That's not a stab at the coppers: I respect the job that they have to do; I just wish that more could be done to keep illegal/reckless drivers off the road.
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'10 SV650SF, '83 GS650GT (it lives!), Questionable DIY dash project, 3D Printer project, Lasercutter project

[.Chris.]

What a daft idea. Several immediate problems:

a) Signposting is notoriously rubbish. Often you'll follow signs to somewhere and then happen upon a junction either with no signs or ones without your destination on them.

b) There's often more than one way of getting somewhere. Sometimes that involves going against the signposted route in order to get there quicker, avoid traffic, etc.

c) This will even further advantage those who know the local area. Obviously this is to an extent the case at the moment but if you're required to navigate on your own knowing the area will be even more of an advantage.

The test is already difficult enough. The government just doesn't seem to accept that there's only so much that can reasonably be done to make the roads safer. In my opinion that point has already been reached and well exceeded in some areas.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[Poseidon]

I did my PCV test in huddersfield... The examiner got on the bus in the depot and after I did the off-road manouvres just said:

"t'Pie shop lad"

Off I went, got there, and he said:

"back t'Depot"

Got back there and he said:

"you've done it... na'shove off"

It seems he expected our instructor to have taught us where the pie shop is. The system works! (nice bloke is the examiner... very yorkshire though!)
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1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[Skudd]

If you ever sit in on a test, which I do regularly, you would know that often a candidate is asked to follow a sign already, it could be on a dual carriageway or a road that splits. The candidate would be asked to follow the road to XYZ, they must check the sign and make sure that they move to the correct lane to follow the direction of the sign. Not an issue.

There are many ideas floating around at the moment, some may become part of the test some won't. There is no need to get all het up about rumours and maybes.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[G]

[Poseidon]

[iooi]

One thing that would help is for tester to question driver on what signs they have just passed. Not only to test if they are looking, but also to see if they can drive safely when others are distracting them.

The number of drivers who simply do not read the signs at the moment is amazing, especially any that seem to have days and time's on them.

We seem to have become of country full of people racing to get from A2B, yet have no actual concept of the day, or time it really is.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[TW85]

The whole point of driving tests is to test how safe you are, not to test your navigation skills

I don't think it will happen

[TW85]

[G]

[Poseidon]

G's point is very valid... I spend 40hours a week driving in and around the centre of York (bus driver ) and I've lost count of the number of people I've seen make last minute lane changes because their "Sat Nav" told them to turn. They don't do any checks or even signal, they just plough through whatever the cost.

People need to learn how to assess a situation properly and through forward planning be able to be in the correct lane at the correct time... and to realise that they are not the only people on the roads. The standard of driving on our roads is slipping, FAST! and as bikers, we're among the most vulnerable out there. Anything that makes the roads safer has to be a good thing!
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1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[Mudskipper]

[Poseidon]

Wasn't a number 6 by any chance was it? I do have a habit of holding traffic up to let bikes out! Was great fun today, I love York when a road gets closed... Loads of extra pay for sitting in traffic!
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1977 Honda CG125
2002 Ducati Monster S4 (currently restoring)

[TW85]

sat navs causing accidents have nothing to do with how safe you drive on your test. Even without a little screen to put you off, the idea is to not suddenly do something without looking. You have enough to concentrate on, if you're not local then you might be fucked because you don't know the area. Nothing to do with your ability. This is even more likely with the amount of centres that are closed or combined or whatever, I read in MCN the other day that some people will have to do ridiculous round trips to get to the new centres.

[G]

[Didge]

It doesn't matter how tough the driving test is, people pass their test, and then forget everything and start with the bad habits.

The test means fuck all in real life, as most of the twats I see on the roads, aren't even able to use their indicators in a correct manner, let alone anything else.

[Walloper]

What's all the Hoo Haa about SatNavs?
Is it jealousy?
You all sound like those Luddites who would spout, "I don't know why anyone would need to carry a phone around?"

Get over it you lot.

SatNAvs do not make bad drivers.
Bad drivers will always be bad.
What would be better?
Dopey drivers dighting and dithering along in front of a queue looking for their destination or referring to a map as they go?

DSA asking folk to navigate is god news. I would ask for more stringent measures just as us bikers have had to face in our motorcycle test.
One can do a lot more damage driving a 1 ton four wheeler that can be managed on a bike so why is the driving test so pimps?

Rant over.
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W-ireless A-rtificial L-ifeform L-imited to O-bservation P-eacekeeping and E-fficient R-epair

[Walloper]

[MarkJ]

I can't see it making any difference to be honest - at the moment examiners have set routes so the instructors teach you the route. If they change from routes to locations there are still set routes to those locations which your instructor can teach you, so we'll be in the same situation as before.

[Poseidon]

[smegbrains]

[rac3r]