Driving Mam and Dad Mad

Morgans

I know it was a repeat on BBC3, so apologies if there was a previous thread on this.

There seems to be an idea on here that is treated as gospel - that foreign countries attitude and means of learning to drive are far superior to the ramshackle and slipshod irish method. I mean you could fail your test and drive home up to a few months ago.

I do realise that programs are edited etc, but the program "Driving Mam and Dad Mad" held a competition between two complete novices. Two absolute newcomers to driving were given 3 weeks to see if they could pass their driving test - using their Mothers and Fathers as driving instructors. It chronicled their difficulties, the stresses when instructing someone how to drive and watched their relationship develop as a tangent to the main contest.

They were given one pre-test half way through. In three weeks, one of the two contestants did pass her driving test and won a fully insured Corsa. Congratulations to her. The second almost went straight onto a roundabout and was forced to make an emergency stop during his test. The final shot was of the winner driving away in the Corsa to collect her friends. Also, doing a little piece to camera (positioned in the passenger seat) supposedly at the time.

If this was produced in Ireland, there would be outrage amongst the elders on this board. I wonder just how stringent the method of passing the driving test in this country is compared to others, rather than just simply accepting that Ireland is the worst and most lax when it comes to learner drivers.

TheElf

I saw the frist air of that few months back, your dead right about the comparison between the attitude to driving here and in England. One of my friends who lives in England was learning to drive a few years ago, and she couldn't believe that I was out driving on a provisional license, she said the only time her car left the drive was when her instructor picked her up, or she was out with one of her parents.

But at the same time when she failed her first test, it only took a fortnight to get another test and she passed that one. I know the times are coming down here, but I was still waiting just over 3 months for confirmation of my next test. I know I'd be happy with not driving if I knew that I would onyl have to wait 2 weeks for a re-sit.

But back to the show your talking about. One thing that annoyed me is, I guarantee if the girl that passed sat an Irish driving test she would have failed.

Her answer to one of the questions, as far as I can remember was:

"How do you know the handbrake is properly engaged?"

"It will click 3 times?"

I even just felt nervous watching her drive as well.

But the lad that did his was a definite fail, looked like he was planning on just racing onto the roundabout without a care in the world.

Wishbone Ash

Morgans wrote: »

than just simply accepting that Ireland is the worst and most lax when it comes to learner drivers.

That view is indeed held by many people here but I think the standard here is probably average. In the US, Italy, Greece, Portugal, it's much poorer from my experience.

And as for India..........:eek: (Travelling by taxi in India is always a white knuckle affair! )

Posy

As a matter of interest, how do you know the handbrake is properly engaged?

Greenmachine

Not sure what it was called but there was a show on Digital about Australias crappest driver. They got instructions etc and won the opportunity to take a test etc. I saw people on that show pass their test for things taht i though should be an automatic fail.