Learners on Motorways

[puddlethumper]

The Gov, in its infinite "wisdom", is looking into letting learner drivers on to motorways. 

Personally, I think its a reasonable idea, as long as its not during rush hour.  Where I live, near Brumingham, the learners are mixing with rush hour traffic and nearly every day I'm sat in a line of traffic waiting for a learner to get onto a roundabout or out of a T junction, and it seems to me they are not yet up to that level of traffic.

Wondered what others think about this.

[Pillock]

Learners need to learn on motorways, so I'm all for it. Beats passing your test in town and then immediately being let loose on 5 lanes of the M25.

 

I had motorway lessons immediately after passing and I would say I'm a better driver for it.

[daveb47]

Only if they have achieved a basic driving proficiency level first,some of the learners around here are not safe in normal traffic.

[warren t claim]

This in inevitable as many local authorities reduce the speed limits on NSL dual carriageways to as low as 40mph

[strangeangel]

The licence allows you to drive on motorways, so IMO it's madness not to incorporate some sort of motorway tuition. Obv not on your first lesson like.

 

The Saturday after I passed my test I drove over to Leeds on the M62 to visit djimbob, armed only with my five minutes driving experience on suburban roads and an 850cc Renault 5. That was a hair-raising experience, let me tell you.

[Pillock]

Also I'd say it's trickier to drive in a city, with bus lanes and huge roundabouts and a more compact road network.

 

Whilst the possibilities for a serious accident are greater on a motorway, actually driving on them once you're up to speed is dead easy. No confusing road markings, all the traffic is going the same direction....

[mercrocker]

When I took my test (40 years ago) the school I used offered an additional motorway lesson or two to newly-qualified drivers.   Problem was we only had about an eight mile stretch nearby.   I remember, though, being astounded at how long it took to build speed up in a 120Y before safely merging into 70 mph traffic.   There was absolutely no chance of anybody moving over into the 2nd lane to let you out back then either. 

 

Three weeks after passing my test I was sent up to Falkirk (from Southampton) to pick up a new Renner van for the company I worked for.    Nothing in my tuition or test prepared me for the fatigue of driving 500 miles back while I was still concentrating on not crashing....

[taxi paul]

I have always said that your driving test should be a two part practical test to include motorways. So after passing your driving test you then need to have say six lessons on motorways to pass your part two and then you can get your full licence.

[Tamworthbay]

I think it should be compulsory for them to have a set amount of accompanied hours on a motorway AFTER the test is passed before the full licence is issued. But they do need something. You can pick out loads of holes though as with any system. Someone could learn in the north of Scotland then go and live in the middle of London or vice Versa and the challenges are very different.

[AMC Rebel]

I have always said that your driving test should be a two part practical test to include motorways. So after passing your driving test you then need to have say six lessons on motorways to pass your part two and then you can get your full licence.

Trouble with that would be parts of Scotland, outlying Islands and even parts of Norn Iron, where you are a good way way from any motorway.  I agree in principle though.

[bramz7]

Three days after I passed, I drove 500 miles to Perthshire. 

Yes it was a bit of a challenge, and I probably misjudged my distances once or twice, but other than that, it was fine. Motorways are actually a lot easier to drive on than your town roads, in my opinion. 

 

I think a fair few people would absolutely freak out on the motorway whilst learners though, so it'd have to be at a pretty advanced stage in the learning process.

[meshking]

There are parts of England that don't have local access to a motorway. My wife grew up in deepest darkest Dorset and had a minimum of 1 hr drive to reach a motorway, so it was impossible for her to get any experience driving on them.

That said, some of the driving standards I have seen over Christmas on the motorway has been appalling. So I would definitely support incorporating motorway driving in the test.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I took al 4 of my offspring onto the motorway the day they passed their tests. But I'm lucky* enough to live a stones throw from J14 and 13 of the M1.

How is this going to work for those who don't have a nearby motorway? In parts of Wobblerland and Volvoshire they're a couple of hours from a motorway , also many of these carrot crunching types might never intend to go on a motorway anyway.

 

As you know, I drive a couple of thousand miles every week on motorways and have never seen an accident caused by a new, nervous driver. Usually old,experienced ,often proffesional ** drivers who should know better.

What we need is more money for patrolling Police cars to enforce the laws we've got( as much as I enjoy speeding with impunity , as much as the next idiot)

[overrun]

It definitely should be part of lessons and the test.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Sorry, I type very slowly!!

[brownnova]

I'm teaching Mrs_nova to drive at the moment, she's a good driver and has driven proficiently on dual carriageways. It's a mystery to me why she isn't allowed to do motorways. I know she'd be safer than many I see on there. Plus it's a part of normal driving life...

 

I'll accompany her the first few times in the my way once she passes...

[AMC Rebel]

As I tend to mention on threads like these - (and I 100% agree with this from NorfolkNWeigh) -

 

 

What we need is more money for patrolling Police cars to enforce the laws we've got

 

I strongly suspect there are loads and loads of drivers who haven't passed a test out there.  They are a combination of -

 

- People who never bother with "rules" - quite a few of these turn up on every cop show.

- Foreigners who've never had to take a UK test and learned to drive in places with very different rules and practises - they may be legal (if they have chopped in their overseas licence for a UK one) but they may not be that safe.

 

Add to that the people who have taken a test but don't give a fuck about anyone else, and as NNW says - we could do with a few more coppers stopping people doing the stupidest things on motorways and elsewhere and it would make driving more fun and hopefully safer. 

[MarinaJosh]

Given that learners can drive on dual carriageways which can be even more congested with only two lanes and NSL country roads which are the most dangerous roads I think the ideas has some legs...especially because as soon as somebody has passed their test they can then just go out on a motorway having had no supervised experience of driving on one which is far more risky. It would be tricky here in Suffolk though...

[cros]

∆ With 6 Marinas under his belt it would be madness for me not to agree with Josh here.

[egg]

I did 'pass plus' after my test which gave experience of motorways and reduced my insurance a bit. Seems like this plan is including this in the learning phase.

 

In my first year of driving I did take A roads instead of motorways sometimes, as a 45bhp Uno did seem horribly exposed.

[plasticvandan]

I was fortunate to have done my bike test first so hasd already used a motorway, firsdt time I piloted a Reliant Rialto up the slip road after passing my car test still shat myself

[Jim Bell]

In my first year of driving I did take A roads instead of motorways sometimes, as a 45bhp Uno did seem horribly exposed.

Yeah I dont think Id feel comfortable exposing myself in an Uno either.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

I was fortunate to have done my bike test first so hasd already used a motorway, firsdt time I piloted a Reliant Rialto up the slip road after passing my car test still shat myself

I would shit myself too , if I had to pilot a Riato on the motorway.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Yeah I dont think Id feel comfortable exposing myself in an Uno either.

Maybe that's what distracted Henri Paul.

[AMC Rebel]

I would shit myself too , if I had to pilot a Riato on the motorway.

 

I'd shit myself having to pilot a Rialto (or Robin, Supervan, Regal etc) anywhere.  I got a lift in one once - it was scary as hell.

[Guest Hooli]

No need, a dual cabbageway is the same.

[Eddie Honda]

I can say I've ever shat myself piloting either my Rialto or Regal anywhere. I was driving the Regal when I was 17, so it must have been the invincibility of youth rather than logic or reason.

 

Learners are already allowed on motorways: lorry and bus ones.

[DeeJay]

Mrs Jay passed her test about 20 years ago and the only time she has been on a motorway was from the Rocket end of the M62 to the first junction (half a mile).

[SiC]

I learnt to drive in newbury. As part of the driving test they sent you up the A34, which is a 70mph dual carriageway. I'd say it's no difference than to motorways but it's actually worse. No hard shoulders and utterly ridiculously short slip roads. A good quarter the length of a m-way sliproad. Learning to drive on the m-way would have made little difference.

 

So I'm all for it.

[sierraman]

Never did the pass plus thing as it was sold to me on the back of it reducing premiums by 20%. Sounded like a load of bollocks to me given they wanted £100 to do it. I've never been asked once whether I passed my licence or did I pass it with distinction.

 

Instead I sought a couple of hours experience on the motorway with my dad who at the time did 30,000 a year on the motorway instead of some idiot in a cardigan bollocking me for doing 80.