Ooolder drivers - Rules of road. Do they even know them???

PsychoSue

Was posting on another thread and it reminded me of this, its a bit of a rant. So Ill apologise in advance.

About 2 months ago a granny (about 60 odd) drove down a very long narrow safe zone on the road (ya know the area in the middle of the road with the white grids when ur nearing a junction that has lanes for turning?? Some people use it nearer the junction as part of the turning lane when traffic is backed up!!) Well I was a fair bit away from the lights (about 20 cars back) so at the narrowest part of the safe zone but she still drove down (past 2 cars behind me) and stopped alongside my car.

I had the window open singing away and she roared at me that its kids like me that are killing all the others on the roads. I was stunned but still managed to say huh. She said that I could have killed her back on the roundabout when I went around it!! I said I wasn't anyway near you, You were in the left lane stopped and indicating RIGHT??? I assumed she was 1 of these spanners that indicates right then left to go straight through (She was in a Chinqicento I NEVER forget em when I spot em, I HATE EM!!) I pulled up along side you in the right lane and when it was clear I went but u stayed obviously waiting for a bigger gap.

She said she went to go but because "I had taken her place on the roundabout" if she had have continued on she'd have gone into the side of me??? (obviously takes the roundabout in as straight a line as possible) Theres 2 lanes going on, 2 lanes on it and 2 coiming off (not marked with UV Florecsent yellow paint but ya can just about make em out) I said WTF?? we had a lane each wats ur prob?

The lights had obviously changed for the other side of the road cos cars were coming at her and 1 flashed n beeped but it was going fairly slow n abit away and she says ****ing eegit u've loadsa room :eek::eek:??(Mental) Her last rant at me she roared Kids like me shudn be allowed drive supped up cars that kill people... A SUPER angry me roared at her to go get F*(k3d n learn to drive..... I cuda boiled a kettle on my forehead I was fuming tha much, mainly because I didn get to roar at her properly cos she'd already taken off!!

Kid like me?? Im 26 years old (nearly 27) driving 8 years with a Full licence for 6 of those years and no penalty points!!
Supped up car!! Its a black hatchback with a bog standard 1.4 engine that has been lowered, has alloys, tinted windows and an exhaust system....

Need to bloody sell it n get me a respectable car...!!! Maybe a chinqicento....:rolleyes:

I saw someone post about older people and the amnesty on licences, I know my mam got hers this way, she's NERVOUS as hell on the roads, she'd never have passed the test!!

Do you think people should have to resit the driving test after a certain age? Or after a certain number of years?

Danbo!

And she would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids

PsychoSue

Danbo! wrote: »

And she would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids

Meddlings what I do best, it was my goal that day to mess up her straight line driving!!!

gbee

I was accused of blocking a 'blind person's space' ~ I was not, I was three meters in front of it, but the blind driver was trying to reverse down a one way street.

In fact because I knew it was a one way street, narrow and a difficult park, is why I left so much space.

She threatened to call the police. I then lost the rag and told the English ..... to effin do just that, in the meantime I'll see how many penalty points your blind husband can get from the Gardaí by coming the wrong way down a one way.

The Express

Indicators, roundabouts, 50kph urban zones, right of way, lane positioning, headlights, sidelights, foglights, the whole f*ucking shebang is not so much a mystery to a certain 'age' group of drivers in Ireland, but an irrelevance.

And I, quite frankly, am tired of it.

corktina

seems to me it isnt a "certain age group" but a malaise afflicting a huge percentage of Irish Drivers. Im tired of it too...the general lack of pride and driving skill development in this country...i TRY to rise above these morons but , my god, there are so many of them, its hard!

Mc Love

IS it time the government revoked the licences of these so called amnesty Licence holders?? Sure they might even gain some much needed money from the all the new applications

newmug

Everyone should have to re-sit the test every 5 years IMO. Although if yiz think driving is bad here, its absolutely unbelievable in some other "modern European" countries:rolleyes:

Gophur

Mc Love wrote: »

IS it time the government revoked the licences of these so called amnesty Licence holders?? .......

Why?




(OP needs to chill a bit, IMO)

Anan1

PsychoSue wrote: »

A SUPER angry me roared at her to go get F*(k3d n learn to drive..... I cuda boiled a kettle on my forehead I was fuming tha much, mainly because I didn get to roar at her properly cos she'd already taken off!!

TBH, that's your problem right there. You have no control over what other drivers say/do, but you can control how much it gets to you. Just smile at granny and move on:)

Max001

Completely agree with everything said here, including the last comment about chilling. A friend said to me once, in response to a similar 'vent' to the OP's, 'you can't drive another's car' or words to that effect and she was right. I saw the Chief Constable of a UK police force say something about road safety years ago that stuck with me. He drives (in his own car) as if other drivers are homicidal maniacs intent on killing him. Extreme words maybe, but correct attitude. A lot to be said for defensive driving.
I moved to Ireland from Scotland in '05 and I love the place, however almost every day I drive, I see dangerous driving close by or someone just misses me. I now drive with my dipped headlights on most of the time and it does make a difference. (NOT my foglights!!) Despite the fact I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee, some drivers never see me until almost too late. Volvo was right after all. (side lights) Strangely enough almost every time I see a Garda car, I see them committing a driving offence and as there's no emergency, they've no more right to do this than anyone else.
Education and enforcement is the only way. I think we're now witnessing the effects of the licence amnesty a few years back. Lots of drivers simply don't have a clue!

Mc Love

Gophur wrote: »

Why?

Ah because they havent set a driving test and passed and if they have then they can keep them. There are a lot of drivers with the amnesty licence and they cant drive for shiite

stimpson

Anan1 wrote: »

TBH, that's your problem right there. You have no control over what other drivers say/do, but you can control how much it gets to you.

Indeed. A smile and a raised middle finger says more than words could ever do.

Gophur

Mc Love wrote: »

Ah because they havent set a driving test and passed and if they have then they can keep them. There are a lot of drivers with the amnesty licence and they cant drive for shiite

I assume you mean they haven't "sat" a driving test?

There is no evidence that any of the "amnesty" licence holders are any way worse than any other licence holder, despite what you have posted, above.

Care to provide any evidence to the contrary?

Or is it all just begrudgery?

Blazer

stimpson wrote: »

Indeed. A smile and a raised middle finger says more than words could ever do.

I quite like the cheeky grin and a wave ...
Always cracks me up when I see them losing the plot even more in my rearview mirror.

The above is reserved for @ssholes who pull out in front of me doing 20kph with me doing 100kph and expect me to slam on my brakes in less than 50 yards instead of overtaking while blowing my horn at them.

dumb_parade

I think every driver should at least have to sit a driving theory test ever time they renew thier license (Every 10 years). The system is already in place and a refresher would do no harm. There are so many driver are who are clueless about the rules of the road and who assume they are always right about every thing they do while driving. A test might at least educate them and make them more aware of their shortcomings.

Mc Love

Gophur wrote: »

I assume you mean they haven't "sat" a driving test?

There is no evidence that any of the "amnesty" licence holders are any way worse than any other licence holder, despite what you have posted, above.

Care to provide any evidence to the contrary?

Or is it all just begrudgery?

Thanks for the grammar lesson firstly :rolleyes:

I dont see how someone must pass a test to get a full driving licence if there are people on the road that havent sat any test

Gophur

Mc Love wrote: »

Thanks for the grammar lesson firstly :rolleyes:

I dont see how someone must pass a test to get a full driving licence if there are people on the road that havent sat any test

Who ever said life was to be fair?

In any event, these licence holders got their licence 31 years ago, that's a hell of a lot of experience under their belt.


(And the correction wasn't a grammatical one, you had used a completely different verb! If I was correcting grammar I'd have had more to say;))

stimpson

Gophur wrote: »

In any event, these licence holders got their licence 31 years ago, that's a hell of a lot of bad experience under their belt.

FYP

Del2005

Mc Love wrote: »

I dont see how someone must pass a test to get a full driving licence if there are people on the road that havent sat any test

My Dad went down to the local barracks, got a form and ticked a few boxes, handed over a few shillings and is now licensed to drive everything.

He's no idea how to do roundabouts and when I try and tell him he ignores me. He says how are you supposed to know. He doesn't like when I point out that one of the rules of the road is to know the rules of the road, but I suppose if you don't ever bother reading them you'll never know.

I've seen people in their late 20s early 30s who are as bad as him on the road and they have ALL passed a test.

The problem with this country is that until very recently you didn't need any type of licence ( even provisional/permit) to be a driving instructor. Hence this BS with clock faces, lane discipline etc. People only do lessons to pass the, being perfectly honest easy, test not learn how to drive.

Gophur

stimpson wrote: »

FYP

Thanks, (for nothing)

Their experience is the same as the rest of us. Why would they be any different?

Take any provisional licence driver. Chances are they will all get their test eventually. The "amnesty" licence holders, given the standard of driving tests in Ireland, would be no different to any other drivers on the road. Anyone with experience will verify that preparing to pass the test is not the same as real-life driving experience.


Anyone with any evidence the "amnesty" licence drivers were any more dangerous than anyone else? Insurance companies, for example, did not care about the licences. If anyone cared, they would. If there was a higher than normal risk they would have levied anyone with that licence.

Crasp

Gophur wrote: »

I assume you mean they haven't "sat" a driving test?

There is no evidence that any of the "amnesty" licence holders are any way worse than any other licence holder, despite what you have posted, above.

Care to provide any evidence to the contrary?

Or is it all just begrudgery?

lmao, I love when people ask for evidence to something just because they know it's something that has never been studied.

okay, okay.... Here we go:

Care to provide evidence for your own argument?

stimpson

Gophur wrote: »

Thanks, (for nothing)

Their experience is the same as the rest of us. Why would they be any different?

Apart from the fact that the rest of us have

a) probably taken a few lessons

and

b) passed a test to prove we have met a minimum standard.

Apart from their experiences being different, they are exactly the same.

Mc Love

Del2005 wrote: »

My Dad went down to the local barracks, got a form and ticked a few boxes, handed over a few shillings and is now licensed to drive everything.

Same as my mom and dad - which is crazy

Del2005 wrote: »

He's no idea how to do roundabouts and when I try and tell him he ignores me. He says how are you supposed to know. He doesn't like when I point out that one of the rules of the road is to know the rules of the road, but I suppose if you don't ever bother reading them you'll never know.

Sure what would you know? You havent been driving as long as I! - thats the usual response. And I say I passed a test which shuts them up fair quick because even they admit, they wouldnt pass it.

Del2005 wrote: »

People only do lessons to pass the, being perfectly honest easy, test not learn how to drive.

Dont think thats true - I took lessons (more than most) in order to learn how to drive

Gophur wrote: »

Take any provisional licence driver. Chances are they will all get their test eventually.

I disagree, if they are bad drivers they wont pass it eventually, plus some people (some in their 50's) who I have known are still on their provisional because they have failed their test on numerous occasions because they cant handle the pressure of it - these people shouldnt be driving which sort of opens another can of worms about letting provisional drivers on the road, although the Gardai are a lot stricter now if caught driving on your own

djimi

Max001 wrote: »

I saw the Chief Constable of a UK police force say something about road safety years ago that stuck with me. He drives (in his own car) as if other drivers are homicidal maniacs intent on killing him. Extreme words maybe, but correct attitude. A lot to be said for defensive driving.

A long time ago I took to driving with the attitude that everyone else on the road is a complete moron and to treat every situation as such (assume the person wont yield to the obstruction on their side of the road, dont assume that just because they are indicating they are actually going to turn, dont assume the lane they are in on a roundabout means anything etc). Its kept me safe so far, even if it means compromising my right of way at times.

djimi

Totally agree about the amnesty license holders btw. Noone should be on the road who hasnt passed a driving test. If they are capable of driving then they will breeze thru the test.

That said, Id be a lot happier if they addressed the issue of learner drivers who seem to think that a learners permit gives them the right to drive however they please without supervision before they start looking at introducing new issues to be tackled.

BostonB

The problem is the cops don't enforce the rules. If they did, most of these people would be put off the road. Young, old makes no difference.

Gophur

Crasp wrote: »

lmao, I love when people ask for evidence to something just because they know it's something that has never been studied.

okay, okay.... Here we go:

Care to provide evidence for your own argument?

No. The onus is on those making the allegation that 'amnesty' licence holders are less safe than those who passed a test. You make the claim, you back it up.

BostonB

Isn't insurance partially based on stats for this?

Also based on who they can squeeze money out of, so its biased.

djimi

Gophur wrote: »

No. The onus is on those making the allegation that 'amnesty' licence holders are less safe than those who passed a test. You make the claim, you back it up.

Youre handing people who have potentially never driven a car in their life a drivers license. They didnt need to do anything to prove they are capable of such a responsibility. Doesnt really require a lot of effort to figure out why these people might potentially be less safe than those who passed the driving test to be fair...

BostonB

djimi wrote: »

Youre handing people who have potentially never driven a car in their life a drivers license. They didnt need to do anything to prove they are capable of such a responsibility. Doesnt really require a lot of effort to figure out why these people might potentially be less safe than those who passed the driving test to be fair...

Potentially they also years of driving experience (and maturity) over someone passing their test today. So "potentially" they might be more safe.

Mc Love

BostonB wrote: »

Potentially they also years of driving experience (and maturity) over someone passing their test today. So "potentially" they might be more safe.

It could be said that its bad experience and bad habits. I wonder how many accidents people that were given amnesty have been in or were the cause of?

They never had to do lessons, probably learning off someone like their parents etc

Mint Sauce

totally agree with you on the old people OP, some of them need to check up on the rules of the road, was waiting at a roundabout today, giving way to an oul fella coming from the right, who then actully stopped in the middle of the roundabout lane to let me out

PsychoSue

Gophur wrote: »

Why?

(OP needs to chill a bit, IMO)

Chill, If I was more laid back on the road my seat would be flat!! JK...! Seriously Im not a road rage looney, I normally laugh when others r BULLING over something. I know the rules of the road and believe EVERYONE using roads should know them INCLUDING cyclists and pedestrians. The fact that she hadn't a clue how to navigate a roundabout ammused me but when she said I was like the wreckless lunatics who cause road deaths I got annoyed!! Dont worry I didn lose sleep over it but how it came about got me thinking about the licence amnesty, the HIGH number of people who cant indicate correctly on roundabouts (seen alot of young AND old ppl do this so DUNO where it comes from), people who can't merge basically everything that people do incorrectly that Ive seen...

Anan1 wrote: »

TBH, that's your problem right there. You have no control over what other drivers say/do, but you can control how much it gets to you. Just smile at granny and move on:)

Wuda been my normal reaction... In arguments Im the annoying bitch that smiles and AGREES with ya in a tone that lets u know Im lying but that Im not bothered to fight. Lifes too short!!!

Max001 wrote: »

Completely agree with everything said here, including the last comment about chilling. A friend said to me once, in response to a similar 'vent' to the OP's, 'you can't drive another's car' or words to that effect and she was right. I saw the Chief Constable of a UK police force say something about road safety years ago that stuck with me. He drives (in his own car) as if other drivers are homicidal maniacs intent on killing him. Extreme words maybe, but correct attitude. A lot to be said for defensive driving.
I moved to Ireland from Scotland in '05 and I love the place, however almost every day I drive, I see dangerous driving close by or someone just misses me. I now drive with my dipped headlights on most of the time and it does make a difference. (NOT my foglights!!) Despite the fact I drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee, some drivers never see me until almost too late. Volvo was right after all. (side lights) Strangely enough almost every time I see a Garda car, I see them committing a driving offence and as there's no emergency, they've no more right to do this than anyone else.
Education and enforcement is the only way. I think we're now witnessing the effects of the licence amnesty a few years back. Lots of drivers simply don't have a clue!

Would that not imply that he speeds and drives like a demon on a mission???? NOT the right attitude if u ask me!! Some one else posted what I think is the right attitude drive like every1 else is stupid, be vigalent and always "expect the unexpected" excuse the pun.....

Its actually suggested as good paractise to always drive with dipped/dim lights during the day and turn on main lights at night. I taught my classes to always drive in the daytime with dipped lights as it increases visability and sure prevention is better then cure...

I taught a road safety programme for 2 years. Its aim was to teach students THE RULES OF THE ROAD (for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians) and basically prepares them for the theory test. They also did stopping distance and reaction time tests aswell as learning the essential parts of the engine that are asked in the test. They also got 1 lesson each and discount vouchers for a driving school if they wanted to book more lessons. So I didnt only read/learn the rules for my test 6 years ago I taught them up to last year!!!

As for garda dont ya know sure they're a law onto themselves???

I think that there should be ALOT more emphasis on the education and enforement of safe driving. The states do drivers ed and they are very strict about the requirements to pass. They have STRICT rules on who can teach drivers ed and who can give lessons (tooooo many inexperienced drivers are teaching new drivers here INCORRECT methods and its a disgrace). I've seen a few cars with L plate on the M50 and a cop on a bike just drives past them!! Defo agree with BostonB the enforcement here is waaaaay too lax, there needs to be a dramatic change in this country.

Gophur wrote: »

No. The onus is on those making the allegation that 'amnesty' licence holders are less safe than those who passed a test. You make the claim, you back it up.

People who were given "amnesty" licences didnt have to learn the rules of the road, sit a theory test, have lessons or complete a driving test..... Some people DID learn the rules, have lessons etc but NOT all and its this group I feel cause a problem. The fact that they are on the road driving yet oblivious to the rules of the road is unsafe in itself..!!

For "amnesty" licence holders that never learned the rules of the road regardless of the number of YEARS of driving experience these years have been spent driving based on their own rules that they "picked up" over time and techniques that have never been assessed. Unless the driver has since learnt the rules of the road and applies what they now know they could be compared to a teenager who joyrides.... They know how to drive but dont follow the rules of the road or know them for that matter!!!

irish-stew wrote: »

totally agree with you on the old people OP, some of them need to check up on the rules of the road, was waiting at a roundabout today, giving way to an oul fella coming from the right, who then actully stopped in the middle of the roundabout lane to let me out

HILARIOUS......

kyote00

I have never heard of a blind driver.....blind referees yes, but blind driver is a new one

gbee wrote: »

I was accused of blocking a 'blind person's space' ~ I was not, I was three meters in front of it, but the blind driver was trying to reverse down a one way street.

In fact because I knew it was a one way street, narrow and a difficult park, is why I left so much space.

She threatened to call the police. I then lost the rag and told the English ..... to effin do just that, in the meantime I'll see how many penalty points your blind husband can get from the Gardaí by coming the wrong way down a one way.

Max001

Nope, defensive driving is where you drive with caution, without excess speed, anticipate the road and other road users, give other drivers plenty of space. An example of this would be the IAM advanced driving course.

It chilled me out no end when I first came here when I realised that most drivers here regard road signs, road markings, stop lights etc as only advisory and that they as the driver know best. Helps you anticipate the f**kwits

sean1141

my folks got licences handed to them.. never done driving lessons learned rules of the road... which in all fairness have changed a good bit since then...

imo everybody should have to sit a test every 8-10 years..
my father drove for over 30 years without ever going around a roundabout!!
everybodys skills need to be checked and tested every few years...

liquoriceall

Have to agree with you on the older drivers whos bought the licence. Was in the car with my mother one day on the motorway, a car was coming down in feeder lane, my mother slams on brakes and waves him on!!!
Ive offered to give her driving lessons for Christmas but takes it as an insult even though she has no clue of roundabouts, interchanges, etc (or as she refers to them 'new things')

PsychoSue

Max001 wrote: »

Nope, defensive driving is where you drive with caution, without excess speed, anticipate the road and other road users, give other drivers plenty of space. An example of this would be the IAM advanced driving course.

It chilled me out no end when I first came here when I realised that most drivers here regard road signs, road markings, stop lights etc as only advisory and that they as the driver know best. Helps you anticipate the f**kwits

Advisory.... hehehe!!! Funny that cos I was behind a collegue of mine this morning when she stopped at a RED pedestrian light outside a school, the kid crossed and she went through the lights even though they remained red for about another 2 mins!!! Thought about jokingly saying something but decided not to thread on any toes being the newbie and all....

Defensive and cautious driving I get but the way the bobby described it as driving like all other drivers are lunitics intent on killing him led me to think he would be in a rush to get away from other drivers at all costs, I know I would :rolleyes::rolleyes:...!! I read into his wording too deeply....

PsychoSue

liquoriceall wrote: »

Have to agree with you on the older drivers whos bought the licence. Was in the car with my mother one day on the motorway, a car was coming down in feeder lane, my mother slams on brakes and waves him on!!!
Ive offered to give her driving lessons for Christmas but takes it as an insult even though she has no clue of roundabouts, interchanges, etc (or as she refers to them 'new things')

Or whats with the people who STOP at the very beginning of a merging lane and sit there indicating instead of driving down, gaining speed and merging with the flow of traffic as opposed as trying to merge INTO the traffic lane from stopped!!!!

BostonB

Mc Love wrote: »

It could be said that its bad experience and bad habits. I wonder how many accidents people that were given amnesty have been in or were the cause of?

They never had to do lessons, probably learning off someone like their parents etc

Unfortunately the stats suggest the opposite is true. As does the insurance loadings. Personally I while I see the odd bad older driver. Its a tiny fraction of the bad drivers I see.

Del2005

The amnesty licence holders had to have failed the test at least once to qualifiy for it. I passed a driving test in the US after driving on the wrong side of what I though was a one way road, in an auto at a max speed of 25mph, so their test isn't much better. The big difference is enforcement not the test, in the US you can loose your licence for loads of things and a fair few have nothing to do with driving.

PsychoSue

Del2005 wrote: »

The amnesty licence holders had to have failed the test at least once to qualifiy for it. I passed a driving test in the US after driving on the wrong side of what I though was a one way road, in an auto at a max speed of 25mph, so their test isn't much better. The big difference is enforcement not the test, in the US you can loose your licence for loads of things and a fair few have nothing to do with driving.

Thats actually untrue, My mam NEVER sat a test and got given one as did alot of other older people I know and they never sat a test....

Was your examiner PISSED :eek::eek:???

I wasn't refering to the test alone I was speaking more so about the education of drivers and how they start the education of drivers in the schools with drivers ed.... But yes, the enforcement is sooooo different!! I know theres a traffic devision within the gardaí but where do they be and what do they be doing?? The presence on the roads is minimal imo...

Vertakill

Gophur wrote: »

There is no evidence that any of the "amnesty" licence holders are any way worse than any other licence holder, despite what you have posted, above.

Care to provide any evidence to the contrary?

Well, passing your driving test proves your competency behind the wheel of a car.

If they haven't passed their test, yet they have their driving license... doesn't that not mean that they're just legally allowed to drive but they haven't actually proven any competency?

It's funny because, if you compare the amnesty to say... the last setup for the provisional license that was changed to make our roads safer.

Provisional licensed drivers were able to sit in a class room environment for their theory test (that's 1 more test than these elderly people) and then they just applied and were given a license which enabled them to drive on the road... without ever having to sit in a car and prove themselves.

Now, that provisional license idea has been deemed a bad one, and it was changed changed. Hence the current learners permit and the enforcement of the fully licensed driver as your passenger.

Gophur wrote: »

Or is it all just begrudgery?

How in gods name could this be contributed to begrudgery?

Besides, I think most people are proud of themselves for passing their tests. I know I am, especially considering I got it first time around, the stigma young male drivers get and the current failure/pass ratios.
I wouldn't be particularly confident in myself if I was just given a license and told to go knock myself out in a car (not literally:)). I know this because, when I was given my provisional license, that's more or less what I did for about 2 years up until I get some pre-test lessons and sat my driving test.

garancafan

The Express wrote: »

Indicators, roundabouts, 50kph urban zones, right of way, lane positioning, headlights, sidelights, foglights, the whole f*ucking shebang is not so much a mystery to a certain 'age' group of drivers in Ireland, but an irrelevance.

And I, quite frankly, am tired of it.

I quite understand how you feel but nil desperandum - once they get into their forties many begin to understand these things.

PsychoSue

Mmmmm would I be alone in thinking that Gophur is an "amnesty" licence holder!!!!:rolleyes::rolleyes:

BostonB

Vertakill wrote: »

Well, passing your driving test proves your competency behind the wheel of a car.

If they haven't passed their test, yet they have their driving license... doesn't that not mean that they're just legally allowed to drive but they haven't actually proven any competency?....

Who would you let drive your new car. 18yr old who's just got their driving licence, or a 40yr old who's had a clean driving licence for 20yrs.

Vertakill

BostonB wrote: »

Who would you let drive your new car. 18yr old who's just got their driving licence, or a 40yr old who's had a clean driving licence for 20yrs.

Obviously the 40 year old... but I don't think that point is entirely relevant to what I wrote. And I don't think the 40yr olds on here would appreciate being put in the 'older/elderly' driver bracket just yet..
Also, a 40yo wouldn't have been old enough to have availed of the amnesty so they're exempt from this particular rant. :P

My point was that, suddenly it's imperative to clamp down on provisional licensed drivers driving unattended because they've not gained the required qualifications to prove they are competent on the road. This is for their safety AND our safety.
So I don't think I'm out of line if I think that elderly drivers, who've availed of the license amnesty, prove their competence on the road also?
Surely if they're such safe and good drivers they should have no problems with it - right?

Yes it may be an inconvenience for some but, seriously, we've all had to wait months and months for our tests, all the while, paying through the goddamn roof for insurance because we're still stuck on our provisionals because of the backlog.

Just because a driver has a clean license after 20 years experience does not make them a good driver.
There are plenty of good and bad eldery drivers with decades of experience behind them... however, if they were merely required to sit a refreshers course, I think they, and the general public, would be better off.

Look at your average elderly couple for example. They may have only been doing a limited amount of mileage and it'd usually be only the 2 of them in the car at the same time... but for god knows how long they may have been developing these horrenous driving habits and standards and there's nobody in the car with them to tell them what they're doing wrong.
This is why learner drivers now have to have a licensed driver with them - so that they can advise them, make them feel a little more comfortable and also to point out any wrong-doings at the root.

PsychoSue

BostonB wrote: »

Who would you let drive your new car. 18yr old who's just got their driving licence, or a 40yr old who's had a clean driving licence for 20yrs.

20 yrs clean driving isn't "proof" exactly, there could be many contributing factors as to why the so called 40 yr olds licence is clean (ie lack of road use, Luck, frequent but short, repetative journeys yada yada yada.....)

Id let the 40 yr old, As I think maturity does improve SOME peoples attitude towards driving but at the end of the day whos to say that this experience is GOOD experience just because his licence is clean??? This means JACK.....

I've noooooooooooooo problem with drivers who recieved the "amnesty" licences and actually KNOW the rules of the road. Its those that dont know them and refuse to learn them that I have a prob with....!!

I asked about the need to resit the test (ie refresher courses) not only aimed at drivers with amnesty licences but ALL drivers because we all know that over time people pick up bad habits and they settle so much into driving that they assume they know it all. Also the rules of the road have changed so its important that that every effort is made to make sure ALL road users young AND old are made aware of these changes and if necessary retested.....

chasm

Del2005 wrote: »

People only do lessons to pass the, being perfectly honest easy, test not learn how to drive.

yeah have to say i agree with that, it's more about getting a cheaper insurance quote for a lot of people.

Vertakill wrote: »

Well, passing your driving test proves your competency behind the wheel of a car.

Only for the 20-40minutes that you sat your test for though tbh:)
Was told many years ago that driving is meant to be a continuous learning experience, every day is a different scenario on the road.



I'd like to say that both my parents are in their 60s and both passed tests to get their licences, so not all older drivers are on freebie licences

PsychoSue

chasm wrote: »

yeah have to say i agree with that, it's more about getting a cheaper insurance quote for a lot of people.




Only for the 20-40minutes that you sat your test for though tbh:)
Was told many years ago that driving is meant to be a continuous learning experience, every day is a different scenario on the road.



I'd like to say that both my parents are in their 60s and both passed tests to get their licences, so not all older drivers are on freebie licences

AND because its against the law to drive without a fully licensed driver in the car and this is NOT practical for alot of people so getting the full license is a necessity....