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That, and lowering the age of compulsory conscription to 14, should sort them out.
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Raising to 18 seems fair enough. In fact, I don't think 21 would be unreasonable.
But then I was 28 when I first sat my test!
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Raising to 18 seems fair enough. In fact, I don't think 21 would be unreasonable. But then I was 28 when I first sat my test!
Well, I was 17 (had been for a few months) when I passed my driving test first time, after only six driving lessons but there again I was a natural driver. That was in 1956 when these things were easier - apparently?
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All that would happen is that there would be more unlicensed, uninsured, untaxed, un-mot'd cars on the road.
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All that would happen is that there would be more unlicensed, uninsured, untaxed, un-mot'd cars on the road.
Depends whether or not enforcement of the law is taken seriously by the powers that be.
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A knock-on effect would leave us with more young people, in order to be mobile, buying scooters and the like as is done in continental Europe. I have no idea of accident statistics of 16 - 18 year olds on scooters, but would imagine that a fair few of the riders get squashed.
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I can't see it happening. It would have to be done in stages over several, perhaps 12 years, perhaps by raising the age a month at a time each year, or the driving instructors would cry foul. The only way to reduce accident rates substantially would be to raise the min age for driving to 25.
I'll reveal now my secret weapon to raise school exam results at a stroke by offering a six month discount on the driving age to all pupils who get a min of six C grade GCSEs including Maths and English.
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I'll reveal now my secret weapon to raise school exam results at a stroke by offering a six month discount on the driving age to all pupils who get a min of six C grade GCSEs including Maths and English.
Hmmm. Good idea.
I've just been reading this. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007...l
I would modify your suggestion to make the drivng test 3 part.
1) The Literacy test, including spelling, grammer, punctuation, etc.
2) The Theory Test
3) The practical test
"Dear Mr Blair
Once upon a time, you said that your big priority was "education, education, education". However, it seems that in the past 10 years standards of literacy have not really risen (cough, cough) in this country. Well, I think I might just . . .
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>1) The Literacy test, including spelling, grammer, punctuation, etc.
Which I presume you would pass with flying colours.
Dangerous ground this.
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>1) The Literacy test, including spelling, grammer, punctuation, etc. Which I presume you would pass with flying colours. Dangerous ground this.
Especially as it's spelt grammar!
--
Terry
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Um yes. That was my point.
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>1) The Literacy test, including spelling, grammer, punctuation, etc. Which I presume you would pass with flying colours. Dangerous ground this.
Flying colours? Well, in that post I got 76 out of 78 words correct, which is about 97.5% ;-)
The other mistake, which you didn't comment on, was drivng, which iz mor konvenshunly speld "driving" :-p
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1) ............ including spelling .......... grammer
?
--
L\'escargot.
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A knock-on effect would leave us with more young people, in order to be mobile, buying scooters and the like as is done in continental Europe. I have no idea of accident statistics of 16 - 18 year olds on scooters, but would imagine that a fair few of the riders get squashed.
A year or two on two wheels teaches a great deal when moving up to cars. Defensive driving, hazard perception, road conditions etc.
The first couple of years could be tricky, but when many car drivers may have spent time on two wheels, they treat two-wheelers a bit better than they do now - as in the rest of Europe.
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Introduce a cycling test and licence. Make a cycle licence a pre-requisite for a provisional motorcycle licence. Make a full motorcycle licence a pre-requisite for a provisional car licence. Then perhaps drivers would learn to treat the whole experience with more caution and respect.
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Make a pedestrian test a pre-requisite for a cycle licence.
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......... but when many car drivers may have spent time on two wheels ..........
I've only ever got my car onto two wheels once. Never again! ;-)
--
L\'escargot.
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Make an intelligence test a prerequisite (sic - Pape) for a pedestrian test.
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Only mildly related, but Rank Xerox, who had a large sales force, found that the only indicator of a potentially good sales person was the age they'd passed their driving test. Younger the better, as it seemed to indicate personal drive etc.
Funnily enough a very good sales guy I knew was a for a long time the youngest holder of a UK pilot's license, gaining it at 17 and a month exactly after a scholarship from the RAF.
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At this point I don my "I don't believe it hat " and state:
What's the point?
When there are uninsured and unqualified drivers in volume on the roads (and we know there are), chnaging the gae to 18 will:
not solve existing problems
and
increase the number of underage /unqualified drivers driving illegally.
Why? because the current laws are not enforced.
(and if you want a real example from another area, look no further than The Dangerous Dogs Act)
There is a world of difference between changing laws / passing new ones and enforcing them. If the current ones are not enforced then changing the law (and those who suggest it as a panacea are imo just misleading themselves and others!)
madf
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There is a world of difference between changing laws / passing new ones and enforcing them. If the current ones are not enforced then changing the law (and those who suggest it as a panacea are imo just misleading themselves and others!)
I couldn't agree more. There are lots of examples as well as the Dangerous Dogs Act you mention.
The legal age of 18 for alcohol purchases does not stop our parks being littered with inebriated 13 year olds every weekend.
The current legal age of 16 for tobacco purchases does not stop 11% of 11-16 year olds currently being regular smokers.
It just smacks of the government "being seen to be doing something".
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