There have been a lot of posts recently along the lines of how much other drivers annoy us, scare us, wind us up or generally just drive like total muppets.
As opposed to the criticisms, what constructive suggestions can the Back Room produce to improve general driving standards?
The only idea that's really stayed with me is re-testing every couple of years. I know the idea has its faults but can you provide any better ones?
Over to you.....
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(1) Road layouts that are designed to aid sensible and safe driving, rather than the plain awkwardness and inconvenience designed to force people out of their cars, as we see today.
(2) More police on the roads targetting tailgaters, lane-hogs, drunks, uninsured drivers, people using phones/applying make-up/eating/smoking etc rather than just speeders.
(3) A free, up-to-date, highway code delivered once every year or two to each address at which there is a registered driver.
(4) Work to swing public opinion against other forms of bad driving, rather than just labouring the point about speeding.
(5) Trust drivers to make their own decisions and choices when driving. If you take the thought out of driving then drivers stop thinking altogether.
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Drivers that have had more than a certain number of fault claims to be forced to drive around in a shocking pink 2cv with 'caution prat driving' emblazoned on the sides until they have stopped crashing into other people/causing accidents.
Newly qualified drivers to be taken out in clapped out fiestas/corsas/novas on skid pans to show them what happens in an older car when you get things wrong. I am sure young people don't realise just how much better handling and safer cars have become even in the last 10 years so they get caught out when their first car is something old with possibly dubious mechanicals.
Uninsured drivers should have to pay the cost of their premiums missed not just some pathetically small fine or do a day's community service for every day that they have not had insurance in place.
More money to be spent on repairing roads. Railways in this poor state of repair wouldn't be tolerated so roads shouldn't be. How many cyclists, motorcyclists as well as car drivers have had accidents or injuries because of potholes or poorly maintained surfaces?
teabelly
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1.Renewal of driving licences every few years with mandatory eyetest
2. Retest every 10 years
3. More traffic police to deter/catch poor driving
4. Enforcement of parking restrictions....small towns near me are completely choked by illegally parked cars (double yellows, on junctions etc).
StarGazer
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I was thinking about this this morning, funnily enough, as I watched someone apparently with no eyes driving up the M3.
I don't see any reason why traffic police (of whom there would be many many more) couldn't issue "retake your test" tickets for drivers who don't really seem to know what they're doing. No financial penalty, no massive repremand, just trying to help us do better.
Should be no problem to retake the test - get a year in which to do it or something - unless you really don't know what you're doing, in which case a bit of tuition might not hurt.
-Mark
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I deliberately separated renew licence (inc eyetest) and full retest.
The former could simply be fill in a form to confirm details, medical declaration, produce recent pass certificate and eyetest and updated photocard. This is the system in Oz and it is done in 15minutes while you wait (including production of new holographic laminated photocard). The licence would then be valid for 1-5 years depending on age, medical checks etc.
Completely separate would be a complete retest, perhaps every 10 years.
StarGazer
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