Anyone see Police Camera Action last night?

G-Money

Just wondering if anyone seen Police Camera Action on ITV last night?

It was quite interesting in that they picked five people, each who represented a stereotypical bad driver and got them to re-take the driving test. I'm not sure what the driving tests are like in the republic but in the UK and north they make you take a written test first which you have to pass before you can apply for the practical test. During the practical they ask some basic car questions where they lift the bonnet and ask where/how you replace coolant etc.

Anyway the five people they had were:

Boy Racer
Business Exec/Salesman
Mother on a school run
OAP
White Van driver.

Out of all of them, only two passed the practical driving test - The Mother and the White van driver. However they had failed some earlier part of the test not relating to the practical, so they all failed the whole test when all parts were considered.

It was funny to see the Businessman's expression, he couldn't believe he had failed. The boy racer was so confident that when he failed, he didnt accept it and wanted a 2nd opinion although he was laughing so much he didnt seem to care.

They failed on stuff like observation mostly. The business exec was parked on the side of the road and when was asked to drive off, he pulled out without looking over his shoulder to check the blind spot and didnt check the rearview mirror. He actually did this twice as the examiner got him to pull in again just to see if he was nervous or if it was a bad habit the guy had.

It makes you wonder if you'd pass a test yourself if you had to re-take it.

tuxy

grandmaster wrote: »

It makes you wonder if you'd pass a test yourself if you had to re-take it.

Well I think it would depend on if I was to did the test with SGS or the RSA.

WIth the SGS easily but with RSA it would be borderline.

lightening

Yeah, saw that. The OAP accepted that improvement was needed. The boy-racer/modified car owner reckoned the tester (one of the top ones in the UK) needed to be retested and that his driving was perfect. Sounds just about right.

Run_to_da_hills

I drive a white Van

G-Money

Yep, the boy racer was full of himself alright and was convinced the examiner was wrong, even though the examiner was the top one in the country.

Maybe he might change his mind when his car is wrapped around a tree.

OldmanMondeo

grandmaster wrote: »

It makes you wonder if you'd pass a test yourself if you had to re-take it.

To drive for 40 minutes, yes, but witrh the hteory part. Hmmmmm. Would need to read the rules of the road again. Being 12-15 years since I done my test so would need to brush up.

G-Money

I remember hearing something years ago, I think it might have been some EU law that they were thinking of bringing in that would require people to re-take their driving test every 10 years.

I can only imagine how unpopular that would be if it was ever brought in.

The driving test is definitely one of the most stressful things to do that I can think of. I think its far worse than a job interview. I failed my test the first time and I can remember how crushed I felt when he told me. But I was over the moon when I did the test the 2nd time and passed.

I can still remember holding onto the certificate that said I had passed trying to make sure I didn't lose it before sending it away for the full license. I was lucky in that I passed my test before they brought in the written/theory parts. When I was doing my lessons all you had to do was apply for the test and show up on the day with your license and a car. We walked out of the test centre and he got me to read a number plate of a car that was parked a certain distance away. We then did the practical test and the "theory" part was at the end when he produced a booklet of road signs and asked what various ones meant.

It seems to have changed a lot in the 13 or so years since I did my test.

Stephen

The theory test that they use before you get your first provisional is a total joke anyway. You'd have to have something wrong with you to fail it.

G-Money

I heard something about Germany and if you fail your test there more than a certain number of times, you are declared mentally unsuitable to drive. I think its after the 4th or 5th fail that they basically say you are unfit to drive and I don't think they let you take another test.

I could be completely wrong about this though...

peasant

grandmaster wrote: »

I heard something about Germany and if you fail your test there more than a certain number of times, you are declared mentally unsuitable to drive. I think its after the 4th or 5th fail that they basically say you are unfit to drive and I don't think they let you take another test.

I could be completely wrong about this though...

Not quite correct.

You can fail your test as many times as you like (and can afford), you simply don't get a licence and can't drive ...no provisional licences in germany.

There used to be a law however that if you had your licence suspended for traffic offences several times in a row, that you had to undergo psychological assessment and pass that before they let you do your driving test all over again. Not sure if and in what form that still exists.

Slig

Passing the test is one thing but how many people still drive the way they did on the test?
Its not speed or drink driving that causes most of the accidents on the road its driver complasiency. We all just think that once we have passed our tests that we know how to drive. For example
OAPs that have been driving for 50 years dont realise that there are 100% more cars on the road now or that these cars are now capable of driving a lot faster.
School run mums that are so stressed out and distracted by screaming kids in the back that the dont care if they indicate, look in the mirror before turning or how they take a roundabout.
People that are in such a hurry they just have to get past the car in front even if there is a blind corner coming up.
Delivery drivers that are just interrested in making the last stop and getting home.
After I passed my test I completely forgot most of the things I learned, 10 to 2 position on the steering, constant observation etc. Then I had to relearn it all for the Ignition course and I have probably forgotten most of that now aswell

Type 17

Slig wrote: »

Passing the test is one thing but how many people still drive the way they did on the test?

The difference between a good, experienced driver who passed his/her test, say, 10 years ago, and a complacent, below-average driver who passed their test about 10 years ago is that the first type realises that passing the test is just the beginning of learning how to drive, whereas the second type thinks that it is the end of learning how to drive...

The other big mistake people making is that they assume that learning to drive means learning how to control the vehicle (steering it, managing the clutch bite point, braking, etc), when in fact driving actually involves managing your vehicle's position and speed on the road, in relation to the ever-changing circumstances and conditions around you - the gap between these two is very apparent in a lot of people's driving...