Driving Lessons

I know this might sound like a radical idea but consider, at the age of 17 I passed my test, and this is the part where some people might call me spoilt but, my parents bought me my first car, however they would not let me have anything more then a 1.3l engine, got a nice little toyota yaris, not had an accident and im only 19 and got nearly two years no claims bonus..however I have noticed that some of my friends pass their tests and buy their cars without their parents advice etc and buy huge cars with 2l engines..completely different to the fiestas/clios that they were learning to drive in..therefore it might not actually be their driving ability, more the fact they are too inexperienced to deal with a higher powered engine...perhap the government should consider implementing an engine size limitation like they do with motorbikes and mopeds, it seems ludacrious that they can do this with motorbikes but not with cars...I think there should be a required tuition time but i think in excess of 100 hours is ridiculous, I found I have learnt more through driving by myself then what I learnt with my instructor because I do more motorway driving then anything, and its if you think about it its more about your perception and alertness rather then your actual driving ability when you are on roads like motorways as you only have to go in a straight line. I also think they should actual consider the probationary system...I mean having a 6 point limit is all very well but once you pass your test and you lose the "L" plates road users will just assume that you know what you are doing, which is not true and for the first year you are still jsut as likely to make elementary mistakes, if there was a mandatory "P" plate requirement on new drivers this might actually reduce accidents through other road users not making allowances for the youthfulness of the drivers skills. Well anyway I just thought I would give you my perspective on the topic as a young driver who has not had a crash in 2 years....and very much adores her car:D

yeah its gud coz the level of accident levels will decrease thn

kudos to you for yr dedication to yr wife....

the driving lessons are very important and they have to be difficult so that only good drivers can drive on roads and so that the people can feel more safe.

I want to learn driving.

yeah....u r right....we must drive carefully..!

It's like anything in life you NEED the EXPERIENCE. Its like a guy walking into a job with all the qualifications under the sun, degree, A levels you name it, but that's just on paper, he's had no on the job skills, no life experience, it looks good on paper, but in practice? No contest. I agree the test should be much more stringent with motorway driving added in too. I can't believe that you can pass your test and NEVER go on a motorway to get your licence.

Hi Forfein I think it is a good Idea that they extend the Lessons as it is true once they have passed the Test they go wild a few times I have nearly been forced of the road by a Young Driver So I hope they do bring this in

It does sound like a good idea on the surface but maybe the classes need to be long term since it sounds like some parents may now think that a few lessons are enough.

I know what you mean. Here in the State our kids do 30 hours classroom and 6 hours driving. They have their permits for a year and are suppose to drive with their parents for 10 hrs. I don't thing that's enough. I wish they would raise the age of getting your liscenses to 18. I know it would make a few people unhappy but it's better then letting our kids die in accidents. My daughter had her liscenses for two months and rolled her car. Thank goodness no one was hurt badly. I think they should have to drive with a parent for atleast a year and have a curfew. Can't drive after 7:00pm. Or something like that.

You don't seem to have taken into account the cost of learning to drive. I'm on my 7th lesson, each is one hour long and the cost is about £17 per lesson. I hope to be ready for my test by my 10th lesson and am having a mock test tomorrow. People my age just can't afford to have lots of lessons and strive to pass quickly because of this. I understand all your points but it's just too expensive.

Driving car in US or UK could be very important as the speed of cars are so high that a accident with that speed would be nearly fatal. Driving cars is a responsibility and it should never be taken lightly. perhaps after some hours you put in driving it becomes easier. Increasing hours is a excellent way to reduce accidents. But I feel parents have to be more sensible before sending kids to high speed roads.

well driving is easy yet tough. becoz just getting the car to move is easy but the mentality and when to do what,the reaction to various condition etc. these need time to get fully develop...so one should be fully prepared mentallybefore hitting the streets all out

This is absolutely crucial - the amount of lunatics on the road is staggering nowadays.

Driving licence is the big part of one's life. You get the licence to travel from vehicle. The licence is made for the safety of people and not to dominate or harsh people. Respect your law and order. Drive safely. Always remember one thing there is someone who is waiting for you at home. Do not go for hollywood fantisy.

yes u r right.

I must commend you on your dedication to your wife's driving ability, not very many people will do that. I work in the Road Safety industry and this is an area that we have been very concerned about for some time. As a result we have developed a new scheme that is available to those, like yourself, who wish to accompany learner drivers and we will be launching a CD-Rom to back up the scheme in the near future. For more information visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/roadsafety/trainingp/pps.asp

I think that is a very good idea and I believe it should be a curriculum so that they wouuld have driving time before they get their liscense. There are a lot of irresponsible drivers out there. They are getting cars from their parents because they got the money and that is not how it should be. Should be based off of responsibiliity. Many accidents do involve younger drivers.

this is a good point which i have discussed with my friends, you shall have to forgive me if my points seem biased as i am learning to drive myself. i dont think you can pass judgement generally on new drivers as you have to remember than each individual is, obviously, an individual case. Myself, i have a good theory knowledge of how a car works and the british road system, i passed my theory with 100% on the questions and 88% on hazard perception before i even stepped into a car, i have now had 4 hours driving with my father and will be starting my lessons this week. i am estimating that i will need around 15 hours of lesson tuition from an authorised instructor before i take my test, i feel that this is enough, as i dont consider when you get your license you knowing everything you need, but merely you have been granted a license, a license to learn on your own, which sometimes is the only way you would learn how to do something.

yea