Driving Theory Test

With the new speed limits coming in, (20 mph), and all the extra safety involved these days I not sure we have moved on very far.
At some point traffic will be moving so slowly you wont actually need a test any more.

Traffic lights now clog every roundabout and every junction, phased to actually create gridlock. Giving priority to side roads.
I must admit the ability to change six lanes, on a round about, in about 50yrds is quite a feat of modern driving.

Town centres with badly marked "bus only" areas in order to raise revenue.



Why dont we just go back to the good old days with a 5mph limit and a bloke with a red flag walking in front, at least that way weaving in and out of pot holes would be much easier.

 

Hi Kayleigh,
nice one on passing the theory,
I hope you dont mind my being 100% honest in what im about to say,
(1) Your hands never out of your pocket once you have any form of transport,
(2) dont fall for the road rage in yourself thing! ie no matter who cuts you up, beeps at you, gives you the sooty in the nude yester! dont return any such signs back, you never know whos driving behind/next too and you dont know if they've even passed a test or have insurance or "AND" what the hell they are on, so just make sure you get yourself home safe.
(3) I wouldn't take a drop of any booze /wine or holy water, its not worth the risk even the day after the night before, it takes longer to get the "PASS" test than it will to have your lience removed.

Ive been driving since i was 17yrs of age and due to being in H.M. Army ive held H.G.V. from the age of 18yrs, driven so many miles in my life its just not true and ive also seen a few bad road accidents (not nice)
So the above may sound a little hard "but honestly " this is all very good advice,

It's harder these days driving than ever it was 30 years ago.

Good luck and safe driving.

 

Well done.

Rusty

 

The people in charge of the Driving Standards Agency must be pulling their hair out in despair I reckon. Much of the gridlock and chaos you mention is, in my opinion, due to an epidemic of terrible driving habits.

How many times have you sat waiting to get on a roundabout, and half a dozen cars have, without any indication of any kind, came off at your exit when they'd given the impression they were continuing round, so you sit there patiently giving way for nowt, while traffic builds up behind you?

Or how many times have you been stuck at a junction, resigned to watching the traffic lights change to green, then red, then green again, then red again, all because 3 cars have piled into the yellow box knowing they can't get straight back out, so they've brought the whole junction to a standstill?

Or how many times have you sat on a narrow road waiting forever for a chance to go, because someone has parked on double yellows which were painted there especially because the road is too busy and narrow for anyone to block it? But its ok, because they owner has put their hazard warning lights on, because of course they haven't just gone into the shop, they've broken down and their car is really on fire, not.

Or how many times have you had to take longer at a T junction, because you just know that the car on the main road that's about to turn right into your road is going to completely cut the corner, so you have to hang back on the approach to the give way marks, otherwise they'll take the front of your car off?

The driving keeps getting harder, and the DSA do this because driving standards are becoming quite shocking. Personally I think this is because with modern cars we're brainwashed into believing nothing bad can happen. ABS, electronic stability control, electronic brake force distribution, servo assisted everything, airbags, crumple zones etc etc, all give the impression of invisibility. My dad (and many, many like him) drove for decades without incident on machines that were so rigid that a bump at 30mph was likely to kill you, no ABS meant a mistake on the brakes will turn the vehicle into a sledge. Maybe they knew they had to be careful and drive properly.

Sorry, I digressed a bit there

 

Yes there are bad driving habits these days, but most are due to the absolute **** attitude of people in general today.
Not just regarding driving.

My problem lies with the people who are supposed to keep the traffic moving.
Who in most situations spend most of their time slowing it down, or better still,(for them), stopping it all together.

 

Don't need to worry about the drink. I'm 17 and NEVER touched a drop and I'm not about to start it. Out in a pub with friends around drugs and drink or by myself in my greenhouse? ... The GH wins hands down without a fight! (: I'm old before my years but that's just me

 

One thing I have noticed is a change in the way youngsters are taught to drive these days and time and again I've heard colleagues and friends - who've taken their offspring out for some practice - say exactly the same thing.

Y'see when I was learning to drive, I was always taught to approach a junction, a roundabout or indeed any other potential hazard with a 'prepare to stop' attitude - now the 'thinking' appears to be, approach the hazard and prepare to stop ' .... if you have to' - thus we parents sit in the passenger seat, one hand hovering somewhere near the handbrake, the other gripping the seat and that sharp intake of breath is not necessarily a reflection on the youngster's driving, just a natural and totally involuntary ... .

The 'show me, tell me' bit of the driving test is OK I suppose - I guess if you're learning to drive a car it pays to know where to check the oil level, how to adjust the head restraints or use the de-mister - but whilst we were taught to slow down and change down, these days slowing down relies purely on the brakes, which is fine until, maybe, one day, (as happened to one of my daughters - in a 3 month old car), the brakes fail. Fortunately,

All I'm saying is, I don't feel that driving lessons or the test go anything like far enough - yes, they tell you how to move a car from A to B in relative safety and hopefully avoiding all the eejits out there, but rather than expecting someone to demonstrate 'how the horn works' or 'clean the windscreen using the washer and wipers', I feel knowledge of, and questions on, what to do in emergency situations would be of far more help - to everyone.

And .... if I sit next to anyone else in a car park and have to wince as they grab their handbrake and just yank it up - without depressing that useful little button on the end - I may have to kill myself

 

My daughter took and passed her driving test at 16 here. Yes, we're allowed to take it at sixteen. Now living in Canada she qualified as a driving instructor a few months ago, a long time dream and is loving every minute! The driving school she works for will teach her to drive HGV's in two years time. She already has a full motorcycle licence as well and hopes to be teaching all three at some point. I'm a proud mum!

 

Your right there FC, you would think being a biking nation here, new (four wheel) drivers would be made more aware of motorcyclists but sadly not.

 

My heartiest congratulations Kayleigh,
you sound like the kind of driver I'd be happy to follow,
I wish you well with the practical which I'm sure you will master too,
stay safe,
Jenny

 

Its not so much the "follow" Jenny, Its a safe and considerate driver I want "behind" me

 

Engine braking is when you change from a high gear into a low gear while bringing up the clutch slowly which in turn slows you down by using the engine brake? That's what I do/ been taught?