Routine licence re-testing - would you support it?

[andrewsmith]

simple solution more traffic gestapo!!!
Ticket the hell out of them

simesb I appreciate where your coming from with the motorway manners as it is a bug bare i have with the sretch of the A1 I use on a near daily basis.
Good example lane hogging at 60 mph and the main offender at the tail of the chain almost got rear ended by me and a van

Voted yes, but it would have to be free

Originally Posted by ArtyLady

Absolutely no! as I've said many times before - it's not fair on those who suffer with extreme nerves under test conditions.

What sort of nerves would those same folk suffer under emergency conditions? People of a nervous disposition on the road, errrm, make me nervous

I would say yes in theory I support it.

I think there *is* a problem with some of the drivers on the roads today (I haven't seen anyone argue against this point either). Some of it is deliberate - i.e. people that want to drive like kn*bheads - and some of it is accidental - the older folk who for various reasons (out of date skills, medical issues) can't drive well.

Regular re-testing might not stop the ones that want to drive like idiots, but it would help with that proportion that are doing it accidentally. Plus, I almost feel like I'd prefer the kn*bhead to be on the road as at least he has some knowledge of what he's doing, rather than driving along oblivious to the carnage left in his wake!

If the test is rubbish, then that's a problem with the TEST and not the idea of regular re-testing. Fix the test, don't let the problem continue instead. I think that having regular courses/training will have (much) less of an impact if it isn't mandatory. If you fail it doesn't matter, so why bother! There has to be a mandatory element.

Lastly...saying no because of "government intervention" is silly in this case, IMO of course. Driver training and licensing needs to be looked after by a country-wide agency of some kind, the alternative is that anyone can do anything they want Mad Max style? No licence, no rules etc?

wouldnt bother me taking car or bike..as im a super duper driver/rider....but it would just make 100's/1000's still drive without a licence...more road policing is what we need...get tough on the *******s

I suppose this would require our great leaders to invest in good public transport, and in the sticks as well. Many elderly people drive, but probably would prefer not to. The fact that there is no other way to shop, see friends, or get to the doctors/hospital means they have to continue driving as long as they possibly can. At present personal motorised transport (cars, bikes, go-peds etc) is the dominant transport solution outside of the cities. A scheme like this would remove many people's entitlement, and require this to change.

No, I work hard and would have absolutely no time to retake tests routinely. Any liability on the road can behave themselves for 40 mins for the sake of a retest. Wouldn't really solve anything.

Originally Posted by sauluk

No, I work hard and would have absolutely no time to retake tests routinely. Any liability on the road can behave themselves for 40 mins for the sake of a retest. Wouldn't really solve anything.

Time issues I can understand. However you've just said that the test is the issue - not the concept of regular re-testing - so fix the test!
Plus, as I was saying above there is a significant proportion of people who COULDN'T behave themselves for 40 minutes because they just can't do it - the 'accidental' group I mentioned?

what about the chav's they can drive safe when a police car is in sight or on there test but useless on the roads otherwise. more traffic cops, all in unmarked vehicles, yes its a big pain as we then get caught on out our sunday morning rides when we enjoy a few mph extra but it would work.
And simonb this would be the best way to work it tbh, and i understand about the motorway crap yesterday a truck decided that once he put his indi on while i was half way through over taking him he had the right the change lane towards me, and with a line of high speed traffic to my right i only just made it past him unharmed, where was that police car that over took me 3/4 minutes later with the blue lights flashing???

[yorkie_chris]

No, fear and loathing is not the way.

Unmarked cars only slow down the person they stop, marked cars slow down everyone within a mile.

Would you want an accomplished 20yr old Doctor with years of experience to re-sit his med school finals every so how many years?

Re-testing someone who should have years of driving experience with the same test that a 17year old does is pointless. It would only serve a purpose if it was a progressive type test.

ie, 15 years after your driving test you would expect to be able to competently perform the skills you demonstrated on your initial test, but the bulk of the assessment should consist of refreshing and reminding people of the basics, whilst teaching them new ideas and skills that they may not have come across.

The problem is, people really learn to ride/drive by themselves. The test is simply a hurdle that needs covering, and I would be sceptical if it made much difference to drivers on the whole. They would see these re-tests as having to jump through hoops - so they'll jump through them and go back to their 15 years of bad habits as oppose to 1 days revision/new material.

It's a nice idea, but I don't think it can realistically happen, and be of much benefit. How many re-tests would people really need to have between 17 and 65 in order to improve the standards of those liabilites behind the wheel.

People know not to drink and drive, they know they should signal when changing lanes, they know they should check their blindspots, they know they should keep left unless overtaking - but its x drivers habits that determines how he/she drives/rides, not what they know.