Safe Speed Forums

I do agree that there is a sinister consideration that it might be from the previous Gov concept about 'driving' people away from cars and our own transport. Hence loss of freedom, which is of a concern.

I can't see this being introduced as anyone that is serious about road safety couldn't possibly agree to this.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Big Tone, not angry mate, more exasperated, I reply to a comment you made (on the same subject) and then get blasted for going off topic!?

Mods seem to be on good from for splitting topics as needed at the mo, so let's run with this. Maybe these posts could go in the topic about young drivers that's running here?

I hate to say that my answer is "a bit of both".

Young people learn stuff faster than older people. So it would be unwise to delay the miniumum driver age substantially as not only would it make it harder for people to learn, but they would probably take longer to reach a decent competence level post-test.

On the other hand, young men can be cocky little so-and-so's. It's interesting that it seems passing your test first time makes you more likely to have a crash in your first year (I think), presumably due to overconfidence.

Equally I can't imagine the average 50 year old cramming a cooking hatchback with four mates and burning up and down his local high street looking for talent.

In fairness to me weepej I didn’t actually blast you for going off topic, I said please don’t veer off and the reason I said that is because you often bring road safety back to speeding when you get a chance. I’m trying to think of an occasion when you brought a safety matter to the table which was other than speeding, but sorry for any offence given...

This subject is of particular interest to me because my neighbour’s daughter is getting a Matiz for her 18th birthday on Friday, (she doesn’t know it), and I will be having quite some input; she can take me to the pub . I’ve never really given advice or lessons before so it will be interesting to see how she has been taught and what habits or techniques she has picked up and how a 52 year old differs to a teenager. I’m preparing myself for some major cringing but I hope to instil some defensive driving. I’ve already made a start, when she’s been on the back of my motorbike. If you don’t ride defensively on one of them you’ll soon know about it and I think it has been a good start to her driving career.

Again, the point I guess I’m trying to make is how you really learn to drive defensively only after you have past your test, but everyone’s got to start somewhere. It’s also made me think about the suggestion that they should not be allowed to carry their mates…

(Just seen your post JtB. Maybe a separate topic.. )

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I helped my friend get the insurance online for her daughter. If she had been a man the insurance would have cost more than double!

Insurance companies don’t like young male cocky little so-and-so's.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Nobody over 30 likes young males - with the obvious exceptions.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

A valid question. Most drivers that are new are young but I don't have a figure to be precise (& am exceptionally busy at the minute - or I'd go check it out). It is well known though
that the majority are the young, but it doesn't preclude those that are older.

(General rhetorical questions ....)
What about those that re-take their test - where do they sit within this ?
What about those that have ridden a bike for many years, and then get a car license - they are experienced road users and it would be exceptionally silly to restrict their licenses in this way.
What about those that obtain a license and only have a car many years later ?
This research seems to be aimed at a target for target sake than about any real world benefit.

I see young drivers and especially male's as sometimes needing guiding and honing all that enthusiasm and talent, than see noisy, arrogant idiots looking to impress, although I agree some are !
Helping to show how to be a really good driver helps to show those less experienced how to improve their skills, without this they are left to their own devices and might never learn how to become really good.
Learning how to 'default to safe motoring', should be taught when they are learning.
Alex Jerriums NZ young person's courses successfully taught many young drivers how not to drive to impress, but to drive and be responsible.

I would suspect that many drivers have previously has some road experience when as children they walked to school / took buses or rode by bicycle.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

There already exists a "vehicle" for enhancing new-drivers skills: Pass Plus, woefully underused. It features many of the things needed for new drivers, night-time driving, wet-weather driving and motorway driving.
Woefully under-used.
And the pay-as-you-drive is still alive and still offered (as far as I know) by Aviva (AKA Norwich union in a previous life).
So, no nightime ban, just more expensive to drive at night.

As far as I'm aware the accident rates for young drivers are many times the rates for experienced drivers.
But then...the accident rates for night-workers is much higher than for day-workers !

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

I may be way off, but my gut feeling tells me it's a bit of both.

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

I have not read all the comments on this story. I do not have the time. I am just whiling away a few moments as I await Wildy's return from Basel. (Off topic aside - but I've been jetting back and forth over the summer as I had to earn my crust over in Arizona whilst Wildy had an "office jolly" for the whole summer over here Result? Jetlag and I cannot get over it - so please bear with me here guys and gals! )

Anyway - explanations for current ramblin' over .....

RIGHT .. back in 2004 when Paul started the discussion forum and me and IG joined up to chatter about things that matter...we discussed this very topic as young drivers - and face facts - we've all been there .. done the daft . the silly .. the plain DUMB (I have heard tales of IG blowing up engines on track .. my own dear wife and her girly cousins nicking the bayonets prior to some Swiss ceremonial thing.. illegally using the local bobsleigh and ski-ing whilst high on champagne on her 18th down some steep slope .. We will not go into what I got up of course ) My kids read this ..I need to keep discipline in the ranks here!

OK - forget the on-line confessional - my POINT? what the hell do we do about our kids? We see ourselves in them- and we know part of being human and developing is [b]to take the odd risk for kicks.. thrill .. for personal development of our characters[b] We want to protect them .. and at the same time not stunt their own search for their own selves.

So how do we do this? Well .. I have experience of tough rough kids from fostering them. You look to and develop their good and positive traits - encourage with genuine praise and respect for them. You draw a line under the negatives and try to make sure they chalk to experience and learn from mistakes made.


I have always been an advocate of education.. Pass Plus.. encouraging a pride in an acquired and desired skill. I still see this as the way forward I would like to see the cost of Pass Plus/IAM membership fully refunded by reducing the punitive costs of insurance and running costs of a car for our kids. This would be a positive way forward for all new drivers and like protected no claims etc .. provide an incentive to keep it safe and "not show off!" There are other ways to "strut one's stuff and be attractive to (politically correct mode one _ whoever one fancies Heck.. I am trying to be cool dude now!

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If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Just been on phone to a cousin of mine (I also have cousins who are also quite mad about cars

Anyway - he said the immortal words of MAUREEN IN LADA

Now as I recall - Maureen was middle aged.. drove a Lada called "Bessie".. sat her driving test umpteen times and finally passed it in an automatic as "she could not get the hang of gears".

As I recall from that prog at the time (and I do bear in mind that a lot was edited for "a good show on the telly") .. but Maureen and those on the "muslim driving school prog last year" were not the most observant on the road. YES - I suspect some may have been contrived to "grab the viewer as it made good "drama"" - I live with Wildy who invented the word "cynic"

All the same - I concede that some of Maureen's (et al's) antics were genuine.. and some of them fall into IG's category of "you do not know how another road user perceives your action which you thought was "safe" but actually "scared the hell out of someone". Hence his plea to evaluate each drive no matter how experienced you are back in April 2004. (IG (now retired gent but still eagle eyed hawk as regards driving ) is currently looking after our kids who have school in USA whilst I am supporting my own family in recent bereavement and waiting for wife to return from Basel jolly)

So yes .. I agree some new drivers "lose it" in a frenzy if "I am great Iam" red mist. Maybe we ought to do what my own parents did and what we did with our three eldest. We passed our tests and were not allowed to drve for 24 hours until "proud ecstasy wore off". We then drove - under supervision - on motorways.. rurals etc ..were encouraged to do skid pan training .. track day training.. IAM and other advanced training. I think my parents "had it right" and I have found their ideas worked with our own and our fostered kids. Ironically - my wife's parents had similar values. So there .. me and Wildy were meant for each other

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.