Driving licences should be graduated, says RAC Foundation

[The Disapproving Brit]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23334026

Makes sense to me - it's only the same as we've already had for bikes for a good few years. It's disappointing not to see a maximum power requirement though.
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Current Bikes: 1983 Honda VF400FD / 2003 Honda VT750 Shadow
Bike Test Passed 18/03/09, Car Test Passed 14/05/13

[groovylee]

[map]

[Rogerborg]

I'm not against it in principle, but in practice it looks like the usual Aspie spacker tosh.

First, how do you check that winter and night Learning has been done when there's no requirement to have any professional instruction at all?

Which leads to a year on L plates before the test? Proves nothing, they could have been sitting playing GTA V all that year, same as the criticism of the old 2-year auto-upgrade bike license.

And then some 17 year old Elbonian will arrive at Dover with his nine cousins stuffed into a Volvo, clutching his full Euro A license freshly bought for a packet of fags and a go on Cousin Zelda, and that's you looking at a ECHR violation on his right to travel.

Just make the test longer and more comprehensive. Why's it under an hour? Make it 2+ hours, or half a day, or split it over 2 days - sauce for the goose. See how folk really drive once the adrenaline wears off.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[prizefighter]

I'm pretty sure Norway does something similar to this already, including a mandatory course that deals with what to do in an accident etc.

Also Australia has passenger restrictions for new/young drivers.

If a bunch of vikings and convicts can do it then why can't we? Apart from the obvious answer that the Government doesn't have a scooby.

[clancy]

I agree with the principle but the particulars of this idea are shit, needs massively re thinking cus of what's been said above
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KLX 300r

[The Disapproving Brit]

[map]

[Joncrete Cungle]

All these calls for more statute, more restrictions, more nanny and more kitteh prottectionz. Is a Gatso / Truevelo going to enforce it, hell no. Is a gimp having a pocket wank in the back of a hidden Talivan over a LTi 20:20 going to enforce it, hell no. Can CCTV or ANPR really enforce it, probably not.

Oh those Traffic cops will enforce it, right? The same traffic cops who reduce in number year on year, while more and more vehicles take to more and more roads. Those traffic cops?

All this furious indignation surrounding young drivers. None of whom are permitted to learn on the safest roads per vehicle mile covered in the country. The same young drivers who are effectively restricted by insurance premuims equal to the price of their parents first terraced house in 1971?

Git tae fook!

[von1papen]

In Northern Ireland you have to display red 'R' plates front and back and are restricted to 45mph for a year after you've passed your test. The police do enforce this for cars, not so much for motorcycles.

So if you decide bugger the R plates and get caught speeding, bye bye licence. (2 points per R plate, then speeding, then not in accordance with lience if over 45 mph)

And Its bloody annoying tbh especially for the carriageways and motorways as it produced a mass of drivers who think 45+ is horribly dangerous. They sit in pairs across two lanes and refuse to let anyone past.

Then people do silly overtakes, and it causes many a crash.

Swapping one problem for another really.
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Honda CG125<Honda CM200< Kwak GT750 (SOLD) < BMW R65

[MicraShed]

[shereen]

[The Disapproving Brit]

[groovylee]

[MicraShed]

I dunno, I managed to get my lad insured on the Micra for peanuts, when I asked them about it as a stand alone they quoted £400 TPFT which for a numpty with no no claims didnt strike me as too horrific.

Hell I paid about that FC for a new mini metro in 1986 and that was expensive back then.

Older car, small donkey, employed seems to equate reasonable (well not too piss taking) premium.
Newer poncy car (aka BINI et al) and Student status seem to equate bry bumming with a cock full of sand.

[Kickstart]

Hi

Can't see how it will be done without turning into a bureaucratic nightmare.

Personally I think the test should be FAR longer. Plenty more faults allowed, but far more opportunity for a real screw up.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[kramdra]

Too much H&S bollocks, some people should die in horrific road accidents. I ride a motorbike and realise it is dangerous. I would not be suprised if one day it kills me and I am quite happy with the idea of that (but hopefully not too soon).


I watched a video about Taiwan a while ago. I cant remember the details but I belive new drivers have to start on a motorcycle or scooter before they can drive cars. Also bigger vehicles take blame for accidents - car hits bike, car pays out


If all new drivers had to use a small bike for a year before being allowed to do a car test I think their awareness and driving ability would be vastly improved. However 125's are shit, and often dont try to reach 14.7horses. Should be changed to 250cc.

[MC]

Sounds like a revenue generator again tbh. Learn to drive for a year, penalise those who are able to learn more quickly, with no real benefit. If you wunna teach people about car control take them to a skidpad (like I believe they do with learners in Finland). Personally I avoided having lessons at night, first time driving at nighttime was on my bike.

The other rules sound like an extension to the probationary period with no real benefit. Insurance policies that involve telematics are cheap(er) enough to lure new drivers, which restricts their nighttime driving anyway. Don't see how restrictng passengers helps either, unless they just wunna reduce the body count for when things do go badly wrong.

[reed]

Stupid idea, which means it'll probably happen.
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Generic XOR 50, Gilera SMT 50, GSXR 400 GK73A, Ducati Monster 600, Honda Hornet 600.
Sold. Stolen. Written off. Sold. Current.

[Vracktal]

[dan_flash]

Here, it seems a lot easier to get a licence than in the UK - theory test (which you need something stupid like 52% result to pass) and a quick 25 minute drive around the city (read: village) and major motorway (read: dual carriageway).
But then once you have a licence you have to attend various safety courses, accident awareness courses, further driving courses, all within a 9 month(?) time-frame after getting a licence.

It sounds like a rather stress-free way to get going, considering you'll get a lovely EU licence at the end of it. But the result is that Austrian drivers are flipping terrible (although I haven't scoped the actual recorded accident rate).

Agree with longer test. Maybe 2 hours with motorway driving included.
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Yamaha XJ600S, Volvo v40.

[-Monty-]

[Andy_Pagin]

It'd make a whole lot more sense if we taught motoring as something like an O Level instead of just teaching the bare minimum needed to scrape through an extremely simple test that's not been fit for purpose since the days when horses outnumbered cars.
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They're coming to take me away, ho-ho, hee-hee, ha-haaa, hey-hey,
the men in white coats are coming to take me away.
Yamaha Vity -> YBR125 -> FZS600 Fazer -> FZ1-S Fazer