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Another bloody box-checking exercise, there are good, bad and downright crap drivers of all ages and both sexes. Driving is the safest its ever been, it really is coming to be a case of "fixing what ain't broke" tinkering with it more. In fact, cars and driving, what with ABS, distance sensors, air bags, crumple zones and all that crap, have been so "idiot proofed" that its all in danger of working the other way - folk are being lulled in to a false sense of security of how "safe" both driving and cars have become, and aren't thinking or paying attention so much. Bring back the days of when if you didn't pay attention and didn't think, the impact of hitting something was the best case scenario you could expect.

 

Oh well, never mind, in a few years it'll all be academic when all cars are driverless. That'll be "great fun" when the computer throws a hissy fit as you go in to a bend.... :roll:

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I agree with the alcohol limit, this should be for ALL drivers not just younger/newly passed. Although not letting people drive at night is stupid. If this is because its dark in winter we are almost in permanent darkness, and when would they ever learn? They say you only really learn once you have passed! Accidents can happen at anytime. To anyone.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19818410

 

Among the reforms insurers want to see are:

 

A ban on learners being able to take an intensive driving course as their only method of passing

 

The introduction of a new "graduated" licence for the first six months after passing a test

 

During this time the number of young passengers that a newly-qualified driver could carry would be restricted

 

They would also be banned from driving between 11:00pm and 4:00am for the first six months, unless they were driving to and from work or college

 

There would be no blood alcohol allowed during those first six months

 

But young drivers would be able to start learning earlier, at the age of 16 and a half.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19818410

 

Among the reforms insurers want to see are:

 

A ban on learners being able to take an intensive driving course as their only method of passing

 

The introduction of a new "graduated" licence for the first six months after passing a test

 

During this time the number of young passengers that a newly-qualified driver could carry would be restricted

 

They would also be banned from driving between 11:00pm and 4:00am for the first six months, unless they were driving to and from work or college

 

There would be no blood alcohol allowed during those first six months

 

But young drivers would be able to start learning earlier, at the age of 16 and a half.

 

Half of the stuff on there is regurgitated pish that has already been talked about and dismissed by the DSA. And they set the standards - not the insurers.

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That may be the case, how ever, say 10% on premium if not driven for more than 1 year, 10% on premium if out at certain times and so on. We are dictated to by insurers now, in efforts to reduce premiums we claim we do a small amount of miles, vehicle is off road and garaged and so on.

 

A lad at work got a quote for a Corsa, £3600. Good deal if you can get it.

 

I started driving at 16, I drove for a couple of years before passing my test. I also rode a moped to up the NCB.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11868063

 

We were called out to this.

 

Another incident near me

 

 

This incident took place on the A582 in South Ribble local authority at 11.30pm on Saturday 28 October 2006. Three cars were involved. The weather was fine.

 

The driver of the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 16, died.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 16, was seriously injured.

 

There are reasons, It may also drive down premiums for young folk as well as increase safety.

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If I want to be honest my driving instructor taught me how to pass my driving test. Learned to drive mostly by watching others from the passenger seat before I ever took any lessons and by a few worrying experiences after passing my test. Thankfully my learning before getting "taught to drive" helped me avoid any serious mishaps but I am well aware that not all young drivers get the experience I had.........day, night, wet, dry, town, country and a bit of motorway.

 

So yes I think something needs to be done. Maybe a four part test. Basic allowing you to drive in your home area in daytime then adding night driving, motorways and bad weather. Or maybe compulsory lessons after the basic test but without more tests. Obviously something needs to be done for people in areas like Shetland and Cornwall with no motorways but better training for young drivers to stop them killing themselves and others is needed.

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.......

 

We were called out to this.

 

Another incident near me

 

 

This incident took place on the A582 in South Ribble local authority at 11.30pm on Saturday 28 October 2006. Three cars were involved. The weather was fine.

 

The driver of the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 16, died.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 17, was injured.

A passenger in the first car, a teenage boy aged 16, was seriously injured.

 

There are reasons......

 

Yes, there are reasons for wanting to address the high crash rate amongst teenage (mainly male) drivers.

Unfortunately, curfews, bizarre temporary alcohol restrictions and ludicrous ill-conceived ideas about "making folk learn for a year" (funniest one I've heard in many a year) will not make one fart of a difference.

 

The solutions must be workable and address the core problems.

 

And there is one huge core problem that they haven't mentioned at all (because they haven't got a tidy knee-jerk statistically proven answer to it):

 

Young males are not risk averse.

 

None of the measures listed in the BBC report will stop a 19 year old lad, out to get some adrenalin going, from hammering the best part of a ton of steel into a drystane dyke or an oncoming car.

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So, if you cannot stop all, why bother?

 

I would like to see zero alcohol policies. Seems to work else where.

 

How ever, Canada are embarking on this line with about 45% of fatalities in the young have alcohol involved compared to 37% of the GenPop having accidents and have alcohol in the formula.

 

I wonder how much this will reduce premiums for all, or stop them rising.

 

On your point about reports and stopping, the death penalty never stopped murders.

 

The reduction is the required result, who in their right mind would even think that they thought that introducing this would prevent all? Daft.

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I wonder how much this will reduce premiums for all, or stop them rising.

 

Hate to sound cynical but, I think that the idea behind the proposals has more to do with increasing shareholder profits than it does with reducing premiums or saving lives.

 

Having said that, I have thought for years that newly passed drivers (not just the young) should be restricted in the type of vehicle that they can drive, and that those vehicles should be limited in respect of their acceleration and maximum speed.

 

I also think that older(?) drivers should be subjected to a 'competence' test every few years past a certain age.

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I would agree with some of that. I have to have a medical every 5 years to keep my license.

 

I passed my HGV about 3 years ago, I feel I only managed to pass because I used to drive over sized 7.5T vehicles. The HGV I took the test in was quite small in comparison.

 

When you visit some of these accident sites, it does bring it home about how quickly life can be lost or dramatically changed due to "human error".

 

It should be balanced. Not so sure if they should apply any weighting to it, turkeys won't vote for xmas so there may be a need.

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So, if you cannot stop all, why bother?

 

If you cannot come up with measures that will work - don't bother.

 

I would like to see zero alcohol policies. Seems to work else where.

 

I have no problem with that whatsoever. My problem is targetting a group of drivers whom (if I remember correctly) tend to drink and drive less than middle aged folk.

 

How ever, Canada are embarking on this line with about 45% of fatalities in the young have alcohol involved compared to 37% of the GenPop having accidents and have alcohol in the formula.

 

Canada, not UK.

 

 

On your point about reports and stopping' date=' the death penalty never stopped murders. [/quote']

 

Don't understand that bit.

 

The reduction is the required result' date=' who in their right mind would even think that they thought that introducing this would prevent all? Daft.[/quote']

 

What is daft is trundling out spurious ideas. Regarding reduction being the required result - you'll get no argument from me on that point. But the methods used to bring about this reduction must be workable and stand a chance of bringing about real change, not just restrict.

 

Apologies for the lack of clear quotes, I haven't sussed out how to do it properly :?

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