www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49046226
Rules mean a learner has to wait 10 working days between failing and taking their next test.
I drive far less these days but standards of driving do not seem to be improving.
The repair bill for off road excursions must be going up :-(
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Keeps the test centres in business!
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Time to make the Pooh plates a requirement ?
Maybe add a digit to it for the number of test beyond 5 ?
Time to revise the rules for new drivers ?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newly_licensed_driver_plate
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I'm sure there used to be a 3+ month waiting list for a test in my day. Not sure you could stack bookings in case of failure, even if you could afford it!!
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Multiple bookings came to an end when computerisation came in. In the days of paper records people were able book several tests with little fear of detection, cancelling unused tests and being refunded after passing. I had a pupil who brought five appointment cards to a lesson.
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Certainly in my day you could book multiple tests. I booked two bike tests a week apart, though fortunately I didn't need the second one.
As for people taking loads of tests, who cares?. Clearly they are determined to stick to the law and seemingly they are being tested (and failed) appropriately.
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>>>>
>> As for people taking loads of tests, who cares?. Clearly they are determined to stick
>> to the law and seemingly they are being tested (and failed) appropriately.
>>
Quite right, you don't pass unless you can demonstrate to the examiner that you can drive to a safe standard. Whether that is on the first test or the tenth is neither here nor there.
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>>... you don't pass unless you can demonstrate to the examiner that you can drive to a safe standard.
>> Whether that is on the first test or the tenth is neither here nor there.
>>
Yes but the learning curve appears to be quite shallow and will it have peaked now they are let loose on the roads ? :-(
I know times and conditions have changed but I passed the ancient test in an urban location the second time and had lucky 13 one hour lessons. No car it any of the family so no other practice.
I failed the first test due to overtaking parked cars too close. " Leave at least three feet! clearance.
Today try doing that every time, thank goodness for electric folding mirrors:-)
The driving school owner arrived for my one hour lesson and test in a more advanced vehicle with
synchromesh on first so started teaching me to use first on the move - not very clever before my test.
The strangest official warning sign I have seen was some years ago at Feltham near Heathrow in a 30 limit area. it stated " Trees removed ". What should one do ?:-(
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Some of the highest standards I saw were from pupils who had found driving difficult to start with and took multiple attempts to pass. By the time they had finally mastered it they had lots of experience and the hard grind they went through made what they learned really sink in. The very quick learners often had only developed a thin veneer of knowledge and were often the ones who had major write offs within the first few months out on their own.
I don't think there are any statistics regarding accident rates and number of driving tests taken, but I feel if there were the results would come as a surprise to many people.
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Your experience makes interesting reading.
I did not need a driving licence but thought it useful to have.
One year later with no driving since the test I was able to hire a car from Hertz/Avis.
The school car was a Viva and I hired a Vauxhall 101 estate from T2 LHR.
Four on the floor to three on a tree was quite daunting :-(
I got my early experience driving an ancient hire car heap with a dodgy handbrake for about 700 miles up the mountains and around Cyprus.
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If you persevere at something then you might get it right eventually. But doesn’t mean you will get it right the next time.
I would suggest 21 attempts means that driver is not a natural and will go on to cause absolute havoc on the road.
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>> I would suggest 21 attempts means that driver is not a natural and will go
>> on to cause absolute havoc on the road.
If they're failing on multiple minors due to nerves then they'll probably be OK in due course and will probably also limit themselves to local driving on proven routes. I'd be more worried about those who repeatedly fail on major/dangerous errors and fluke it on the Nth occasion.
Few of us are naturals.
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A natural? WTF is a natural driver? It is an unnatural activity. A learned activity.
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Surely a combination of learnt skills and natural ability.
Would you classify spatial awareness, anticipation, and navagational understanding learnt skills?
Have you never come across a person who 50% of the time can get L & R confused when giving directions.
You can teach most people the mechanics of driving, but they can still not understand the mechanical empathy necessary to drive particularly an old vehicle.
Last edited by: sherlock47 on Sun 21 Jul 19 at 18:28
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>> Would you classify spatial awareness, anticipation, and navagational understanding learnt skills?
No, no and yes. But applying them to driving a vehicle is absolutely learned.
>> Have you never come across a person who 50% of the time can get L
>> & R confused when giving directions.
How is that relevant?
>> You can teach most people the mechanics of driving, but they can still not understand
>> the mechanical empathy necessary to drive particularly an old vehicle.
>
Again, how is that a natural skill relevant to driving?
The idea of a "natural driver" is ridiculous. Even a F1 driver has to learn to drive.
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For someone to fail 21 times in a relatively short period suggests to me that the person was putting in for tests long before they were ready and having a few lessons in between each, which eventually gave them the skill to pass. I don't know if this person was with an ADI or was a privateer, but instructors do come under pressure at times from pupils who want to take the test but whose confidence far exceeds their ability. My own rule was that if the candidate I was putting forward would in any way embarrass me I would flatly refuse them the car for the test, but in order to get the business a certain big national school would hand the dodgy ones to one of their trainee instructors who felt intimidated into letting the candidate go ahead and take it.
As for trouble differentiating between left and right, probably over half of all females I taught had that problem (Plus Mrs O'Reliant). I can't remember any men who had, though.
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My eldest failed a couple of tests at Uni and totally gave up due to funds, but mostly due to time.
When she qualified, she had spare cash and started again but was very nervous to the extent that she couldn't control the car - this is someone who doesn't flinch at injecting someone, responding to hospital crash calls, giving heart massages and cutting them open on an operating table!
She was then recommended a superb retired-police trainer driving instructor, who was more expensive than others in the area but worth it.
He was involved in training VIP protection techniques and had the evidence to prove it. Took her to a track and did some driving on that to get used to the car with no other interruptions, then with a group of cars doing circuits. She even had a go at spinning blocking cars out of the way by aiming the offside corner against the back wheel of the other car and a few other bits of fun including a skid pan. All to build confidence.
Well worth it and passed, in the snow, with no minors.
I feel very comfortable as a passenger in her car.
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>>. I can't remember any men who had, though.
>>
My test, to my eternal embarrassment.
Instructor: Mr Z, we will drive around the New Town.
Young Z, terrified...we ended up in the narrow lanes of the Old Town because I had ignored half of his directions.
Instructor: Park up and reverse around the next corner...
Young Z, attempted, then two buses decided to stop just on the corner. Moved on and tried it elsewhere on a road that sloped away.
Examiner: Turn right and we will try a turn in the road....
Young Z: Sailed right past the turn and ended up in a lane.
Examiner: This will have to do, turn the car in the road here.
Young Z: 8 or 9 turns later and the car was pointing in the opposite direction.
Driving up the hill to the Test Center, there were several right turns that could be used.
Examiner: Mr Z, take the next right.
Young Z: Drove right past again.
Examiner: Mr Z - WILL YOU PLEASE FOLLOW MY DIRECTIONS!!!
We got back to the test center and I was shaking. The Examiner looked furious.
I couldn't believe it when he passed me!
Probably didn't want anyone else to have to go through the same torment! ;-)
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>>>The idea of a "natural driver" is ridiculous. Even a F1 driver has to learn to drive. <<<
So in your world anybody could be taught to become a F1 driver?
Case rests.
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Case rests on whether or not I know an F1 driver? Really? Seems a flakey and grasping approach.
Even you use the phrase "taught to become a [sic] F1 driver"
A learned skill. No such thing as a "natural" driver.
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>> A learned skill. No such thing as a "natural" driver.
Hmmmm,
Some people take to cycling, driving or flying like a duck to water with minimum of instruction. Others need varying degrees of additional teaching.
Maybe some are 'naturals' but plenty of others can make the grade too.
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prhaps the phraseology is wrong, do we mean "aptitude"?
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....is there such a thing as a natural bullsh1tter, or does it have to be learnt......
;-)
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By natural, I meant someone who driving comes more natural to.
On my 17th birthday I was out on a lesson with a family member on the stroke of midnight. I had one professional lesson and passed my test 3 months after my 17th birthday, first time. I just drove constantly in that 3 months - if any of my siblings or my father was going anywhere, I would drive them.
I was interested in cars, I constantly asked my dad questions about driving, what this did, what that did. I was car obsessed. I was desperate to drive. That is what I meant.
I believe someone who takes 21 times to pass the test may not have that same natural instinct.
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RoR...my only experience in the field of learner drivers concurs with you. The young daughter of an ex had way too much confidence in many things, and we sincerely hoped she would fail her first test. She passed. I spent ages trying to find the right first car for her....wrong colour, wrong image blah blah. Mother was paying so I had to keep my mouth shut. Turned my back and together they bought a rust bucket.
It was written off within a few months when she drove into the back of a taxi on a girls night out. To the best of my knowledge she’s pranged several since.
I passed on the second attempt. Probably a good thing but my ADI pal is taking me out for a simulated test next month. He’ll be brutally honest but as an IAM member it could all go terribly wrong !
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My dad taught me to drive and since the waiting list for a test was six months I had plenty of practice before the test including driving from Sheffield to Newquay for a family vacation. I failed first time for "Approaching a junction too fast" but managed to get a cancellation not long afterwards. Proudly showing my dad the pass certificate he said "Don't think that bit of paper means you've learned to drive. This is when you start to learn."
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Learner driver took X practical tests in a year, - sooty123
