Have your say on the National Driving Test!

pippip

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/motorists-asked-to-suggest-changes-for-driving-test-632674.html

To mark the 50th anniversary they are looking for feedback on the National driving test.

What would you advise them on?

No Pants

pippip wrote: »

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/motorists-asked-to-suggest-changes-for-driving-test-632674.html

To mark the 50th anniversary they are looking for feedback on the National driving test.

What would you advise them on?

Motorway driving.
Indicators.
When it is and is not safe to overtake.
Retest every ten years.

But there's no point without enforcement.

Greenmachine

No Pants wrote: »

Motorway driving.
Indicators.
When it is and is not safe to overtake.
Retest every ten years.

But there's no point without enforcement.

Just want to add new eye test at each renewal too.

maximoose

No Pants wrote: »

Motorway driving.

This - with strong focus on proper lane discipline.

jameshayes

No Pants wrote: »

Motorway driving.
Indicators.
When it is and is not safe to overtake.
Retest every ten years.

But there's no point without enforcement.

Don't really agree with the indicators element, too much hope is place on indicators in this country. But deffo motorway driving.

I think a simulated element of the test should also be introduced where the applicant is placed into various vehicles to gain other road users perspective. eg. a simulated truck and have a car driver pull infront of them in a motorway, or a simualted bicycle being overtaken on a narrow road

No Pants

jameshayes wrote: »

Don't really agree with the indicators element, too much hope is place on indicators in this country. But deffo motorway driving.

Could you please explain this a bit more? I'm not just on about the safety element of letting other road users know what your intentions are, but also to enable the traffic to flow more smoothly. It does my nut when I'm waiting at a junction or a roundabout for a car that I think is preventing me from proceeding, only to see them turn off before they reach me. In my eyes, not using indicators is a sign of carelessness or ignorance (not know where you're going and/or not caring who knows it).

jameshayes wrote: »

I think a simulated element of the test should also be introduced where the applicant is placed into various vehicles to gain other road users perspective. eg. a simulated truck and have a car driver pull infront of them in a motorway, or a simualted bicycle being overtaken on a narrow road

This sounds like fun!

Del2005

jameshayes wrote: »

Don't really agree with the indicators element, too much hope is place on indicators in this country. But deffo motorway driving.

I think a simulated element of the test should also be introduced where the applicant is placed into various vehicles to gain other road users perspective. eg. a simulated truck and have a car driver pull infront of them in a motorway, or a simualted bicycle being overtaken on a narrow road

If used properly indicators are useful, but Irish people don't use them properly so they are useless here. Don't know how many driver turn the indicators on after they've turned.

They should test on turning right off a road , there's no need to swing left in a car to turn right

Drivers Ed in school with the simulation driving and large vehicles as above.

No Pants

Del2005 wrote: »

They should test on turning right off a road , there's no need to swing left in a car to turn right

I know what you mean on this. Some people in the smallest cars think they're driving oil tankers or something.

Jesus.

No Pants wrote: »

Retest every ten years.

WTF?!!

What are you trying to do to us for Christ's sake?!!

quadrifoglio verde

Parallel parking
Motorway driving
Longer test on different types of roads, not just around some county town
A night test
Requirement to undergo training on skid control
Requirement to resit the theory test every 10 years. If you fail the theory test, you then have to do the driving test. You'd be amazed how many people think that the driving lane on a 3 lane motorway/dual carriageway is for tracks and buses

Del2005

Jesus. wrote: »

WTF?!!

What are you trying to do to us for Christ's sake?!!

If your a good driver why would you fail the test and if you think your a good driver you'll find out how good you are.

mikom

Del2005 wrote: »

If your a good driver why would you fail the test and if you think your a good driver you'll find out how good you are.

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear"

More red tape, time wasting and money rackets for the state to tie you up in.

Jesus.

Del2005 wrote: »

If your a good driver why would you fail the test and if you think your a good driver you'll find out how good you are.

I would answer that but it wouldn't be near as good as Mikom's above.

Days 298

Test every ten years! Theres already a 2 month waiting list excluding the 6 months at the start you cant book your test for.
I want Gaybo to be made take a test and point his gob where his mouth is.

Half the price. Harder theory. Learner permit enforcement.

Captain Chaos

Yellow boxes, when you can and cannot enter them. Big pet hate lately with people not moving into them when they should and blocking them up when they know they can't clear it but want to beat the lights.

discombobulate

Indicators would be a penalty already in a test.

Lane discipline would be my main one. The theory test on renewal of a license may be useful. Agree with the eye test also.

No Pants

Days 298 wrote: »

Test every ten years! Theres already a 2 month waiting list excluding the 6 months at the start you cant book your test for.

No there isn't and the six month wait wouldn't be needed.

Even if there was a three month waiting list, then book your test three months in advance.

"Planning - it's not that difficult."

Del2005

mikom wrote: »

"If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear"

More red tape, time wasting and money rackets for the state to tie you up in.

So you think that the current system produces safe drivers? The fact that you can sit the test at 17 and never be checked again is a joke. There are too many partially blind and disabled driver's who are on our roads as there is no retesting of motorists. Your driving over a tonne of metal that shouldn't have someone who can't see properly anymore in control of it.

nd

Having sat and passed the test within the last six months I have to say I found the process very very stressfull. Imo the first thing that should be worked on is the wait time. If the test could be booked and sat on the same day imo it'd reduce stress.

next, if the aim is to reduce accidents, fatalities ect, perhaps make a retest compulsory after a specific number of insurance claims.

Jesus.

Del2005 wrote: »

So you think that the current system produces safe drivers? The fact that you can sit the test at 17 and never be checked again is a joke. There are too many partially blind and disabled driver's who are on our roads as there is no retesting of motorists. Your driving over a tonne of metal that shouldn't have someone who can't see properly anymore in control of it.

I can't believe you're a car enthusiast.

You must work for the civil service or the RSA or something?

Del2005

Jesus. wrote: »

I can't believe you're a car enthusiast.

You must work for the civil service or the RSA or something?

I like getting home safely more than cars. If we improve the quality of our road users I could enjoy using our roads more, currently I have to deal with too many idiots who don't have a clue what the ROTR are, never mind that the actual law, when I'm using the road. If someone can pass the test at 17 then they should be able to pass it again or they shouldn't be on the road. Driving is a continuous learning but most drivers don't know that so the only way to get them to learn is to retest them.

Jesus.

Del2005 wrote: »

I like getting home safely more than cars.

I think you're being a little bit dramatic if you don't mind me saying so.

Del2005 wrote: »

If someone can pass the test at 17 then they should be able to pass it again or they shouldn't be on the road..

Sure why don't we have a test every year and a Guard sitting in the backseat of every car? :rolleyes:

Twickers

Testers to be capable of driving in fog. After driving 28 miles for her test, my daughter was told that it had been cancelled because the tester wasn't allowed to conduct a test in fog.

TimeToShine

Parking needs to be tested properly.

The standard of parking in this country is abysmal. You'd think the two white lines weren't even there. One fella makes a balls of it and you have a knock on effect down the chain - one guy tries to fix it by parking properly and then someone can't open their door.

ScrubsfanChris

Closed circuit driving?

To test things like emergency braking, obstacle avoidance and driving through water (Skid pan?)

Oh, and dealing with disruptive passengers

tom_k

Off the top of my head, break the driving test into different parts to include motorway (with a huge emphasis on lane discipline) and night driving.

I believe drivers are already required by law to declare illnesses or disabilities which may affect their driving but to make this somewhat enforceable I'd be in favour of a medical and eyesight upon each licence renewal as is already required for older drivers.

While I don't see the need for retests every few years in general I believe that any driving offences that involve a court conviction should require a retest.

I'd also be in favour of restricting cars used by learners to a particular speed limit in a similar way that motorcycles are restricted, if that's possible, and requiring the restriction to be kept on a car for six months following passing the test, the period being extended if penalty points are incurred.

I'd also like to see greater ongoing driver education, perhaps involving insurers giving small discounts to those who attend driver safety workshops or seminars which could be organised by County Councils and Dept. of Transport.

And above all I think it should be impressed upon people that having a driving licence is a privilege rather than a right.

Del2005

tom_k wrote: »

I'd also be in favour of restricting cars used by learners to a particular speed limit in a similar way that motorcycles are restricted, if that's possible, and requiring the restriction to be kept on a car for six months following passing the test, the period being extended if penalty points are incurred.

I'd also like to see greater ongoing driver education, perhaps involving insurers giving small discounts to those who attend driver safety workshops or seminars which could be organised by County Councils and Dept. of Transport.

And above all I think it should be impressed upon people that having a driving licence is a privilege rather than a right.

There is no correlation between the power of the bike and crashing. The emphasis should be on training not restrictions as people assume that being restricted makes it safer when it doesn't, training and practice makes safe road users not making new drivers rolling road blocks.

Days 298

No Pants wrote: »

No there isn't and the six month wait wouldn't be needed.

Even if there was a three month waiting list, then book your test three months in advance.

"Planning - it's not that difficult."

How about no. I forked out over €400 for the mandatory lessons and pretest to get my licence. A further €40 on the theory. €70-80 on the test. Another €40 to do the motorbike theory last January and will need to fork out a few more hundred on the lessons when I start. Ive given the RSA enough of my time and money. I met the requirements they put forward. Want to put new restrictions on new drivers go ahead but Ive done my time. Put restrictions on people who didnt have mandatory lessons. But newly qualified drivers have spent too much for us to be put through it again. What if you fail the test and your licence expires? You cant drive or get insurance without a licence. Is it theory test again and back to the L plates. Driving instructors will be driving mercs soon.

There will be waiting times. Having 10% of the driving population doing the test every single year. You have a failure rate of 50% in some centres so there wil be 5% of the total fully licenced drivers having to retake the test. Then you have those with multiple categories such as trailer, motorbike, lorry etc. Repeat all these tests.

"Lifes too short"

GL scrappy

I think the rules of the road should be on the Junior/Leaving Cert curriculum. Maybe replace all the time wasted learning about Shakespeare with something that people will most likely put to use in life. This would give every road user (not just drivers) basic knowlege of their rights and responsibilities on the roads.

mahamageehad

While I agree that the driving test is necessary, I would be in favour of a more continuous assessment approach rather than the one big-bang test. This is for two reasons- to take the stress off the driver (some people panic in those kind of make or break situations, just like the leaving cert for eg) and also to ensure a more well rounded approach to driver learning and ability.

Instead of the X amount of compulsory lessons at the start, the driver needs to take lessons until the instructor signs off that they have the basic driving skills- indicators, roundabouts, gears, lanes etc. For some people this might be 5 lessons, for others it might be 15. Drivers should not be allowed drive on public roads until they have this approval. Then there would be a number of mandatory lessons/modules- driving on motorways, driving at night, extreme weather-floods and ice (preferably in a simulator), changing a tire, driving with distractions like unruly passengers, city driving vs. country driving, different types of parking etc. These would consist of a learning portion (practical and theory if applicable) and a mini-test: if the driver does unacceptably bad or "fails" then they need to retake that lesson. When all of these mandatory lessons have been passed then the driver can take the final test which is just to ensure they don't drive like dïcks and can cope under pressure.

Sheldons Brain

Whatever about a road test every 10 years, which would need a lot more testers etc, there should be a theory test every 10 years. With people required to present themselves at these new driving licence places a quick MCQ should have been included from day 1.

As noted in the previous post there should a role for simulators in the future, with a simulator test before the road test.

mac.in

No Pants wrote: »

Motorway driving.
Indicators.
When it is and is not safe to overtake.
Retest every ten years.

But there's no point without enforcement.

Agreed!