Young drivers; no driving at night

H

hughes_16v

Most of you will have heard that they are "thinking" of stopping young drivers under 21 from driving at night.

Do you think that it would actually pass? I doubt it tbh because they probably wouldnt want to lower road tax for young drivers either because face it, we could only use our cars half as much
 
Im not sure why this change is being proposed.. is it because young drivers crash more often at night, or are they just trying to get boy racers off the streets at illegal meets etc.

I think its pretty silly really because its not exactly hard driving at night. I think the current test should be extended to include motorway and night time driving, just like pass plus. They say the learning begins when you pass your test, so surely they should do what they can to get as much knowledge and experience into drivers before they are let out on the roads alone.

Look at it this way, if your 20 and turning 21 the next day, your not suddenly going to have gained night time experience and confidence over night! Age doesnt mean a thing.
 
Yeh I think our testing system is a bit odd... based on silly mistakes over the course of 40 minutes really... learners should be assessed by their instructors and have progressive testing.

As for driving at night, hopefully i'll be 21 by the time they get it through parliament or whatever.
 
you have to do a night driving section in your pass plus test. why not just make pass plus necessary?

and if young drivers cant drive at night, it means driving tests wont be able to happen after 4 oclock, october til april ish.

doubt it'll happen
 
I think it's a great idea, I'd be less likely to get hit or raced by some youth at night (when I do much of my driving).
 
It'll not happen anyway. There more likely to go down the route of restricting to no passengers etc... A lot of deaths caused by young drivers are caused by the driver showing off to their passengers.

I'd like to see a variation on the power allowance method, such as I've had to endure on the bike, say your restricted to a kw/tonne output for a probationary period.
 
the government are crap anyway. they couldnt organise an orgy in a brothel. let them get on with it, then laugh at them.
 
but people would illegally mod the car anyway! and i remember the rediculous things i could do in 2nd in my old one litre k10, it could beat most cars to 65 and beat anyone around round abouts! (ive calmed down now!)
 
Layla said:
the government are crap anyway. they couldnt organise an orgy in a brothel. let them get on with it, then laugh at them.
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When are you going to change that link manda?!!!

When motorcycles are restricted a certificate is issued. When a restricted bike is in at a garage they quite often make sure that it's still restricted as if they see a bike thats been derestricted but know it should be they can get in a whole heap of trouble.

To be honest, stuff like this tends to feed down from Europe, because our bunch of idiots are chasing votes rather than trying to improve the country, and I seriously don't think any of the above theroies would go down to well in Europe where driving law's are a heck of a lot more lax.

Pete
 
they will never in a million years even consider this. It just like a few years back they was considering putting the age you can start driving at to 18 and look what happened there. Even if they do it wont be for ages and most of us will be 21 anyways.

Oh and if they do come even remotley close to this i will personally eat my micra!!! YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST PEOPLE
 
I don't see why it should only affect new drivers. I am 25 now, and have had my licence 18 months. Someone just short of their 21st birthday could have almost twice as much driving experience as me, and still be affected by then new rule, whereas because of my age, I'd be fine even though I was still a fairly new driver. They'll never be able to put it into force, far too complicated.
 
there is no way in hell, that that law would ever be passed and even if hell froze over and it did, the EU wouldnt permit for a number of reasons, if anything, like you guys have already said, the testing system needs to be changed...
 
Deaths from young drivers being idiots is a standard thing. It has been around since cars became something that pretty much everybody could afford. There's no 'patch' or 'band aid solution' for stupidity.

If you raise the legal age for driving you'll move the accident prone group 'levels' up a bit so instead of 16 to 23yr olds, it could be 23 to 26yr olds in an accident prone group.

The only thing governments can do is offer more rigerous driver training and vehicle control demonstrations/workshops which show young people they're not the greatest drivers in the world and show how easy it really is to push the limits of your car, the road and the conditions.

These sort of classes might save a few of the intelligent ones but its a proven fact that you can't save some people from stupidity. Not much you can do about natural selection really.

I always say that a car is no different to a firearm. Its a leathal weapon and if you're stupid with it you're going to die or hurt yourself or others. You're not allowed to pickup a firearm and just shoot it (use it) straight away - you go through quite rigerous training in safe operation of the device. Why should cars be any different?
 
This idea is just very badly thought out. Theres elements that could be put into practice, but you only have to look at whats going on in America to see how impractical a law like this would be.

I was over in the states for a while a couple of years back and different states have different variations on this.

Some states say that you cannot drive a car after dark at all if you are under 18 unless it is for the purposes of work or school/college.

Some states say that you can drive a car after dark but without passengers under a certain age, and several states let you drive a car at 15 I believe.....

Basically all this means that nobody knows what the hell is going on because these laws are so difficult to enforce. Even the police there find it difficult. Whenever you try to regulate when and how someone can drive, you just end up with a lot of confusion.

I think the only way you can regulate how inexperienced (and I'm not just talking about young drivers here) drive is to get rid of the driving test completley and introduce a modular assessment course done by DSA approved instructors. This would hopefully get rid of the element of drivers who drive sensibly on their driving test and like idiots afterwards.

There could perhaps be courses at a restricted basic level course (perhaps with limits on experience (not age!) and limits on the types of cars that could be driven) and then an intermediate and advanced level, which could only be taken after certain experience requirements had been met and would allow you to drive more highly powered cars.

I don't think that the time of day someone drives at, their age, or the number of passengers someone has is relavent so long as there is training in these areas. I hate this idea that just because some testosterone-filled 17 year olds arse about on the roads then all people under a certain age have to pay for that.

:)
 
personal i feel that all new drives should be restricted to 1l's. (low power cars) cause the amount of people i've known go out and then write of mummy's or daddys big bmw. is far too high.and as for not letting young drives drive at night i have one small thing to say. who would then be doing the food deliver's
 
don't think any of the above theroies would go down to well in Europe where driving law's are a heck of a lot more lax
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Too true! In Greece I wonder if theyve got a test at all, saw people pratting around climbing from one car to another while doing about 60 down a B road with ten foot ditches either side, our taxi driver was up their arse, steering and tooting with his elbow, shouting into his phone and smoking a fag with the other hand, trying to overtake in between their antics.

Dont think driving ability has anything to do with age (within reason!), so any legislation in this area is unfair. Agree with what Turtle says, it should be progressive. If the instructor hasnt passed you for night driving etc then you shouldnt be allowed to take the practical test.
 
welly said:
personal i feel that all new drives should be restricted to 1l's. (low power cars) cause the amount of people i've known go out and then write of mummy's or daddys big bmw. is far too high.and as for not letting young drives drive at night i have one small thing to say. who would then be doing the food deliver's
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Yep I totally agree with you! I used a 1.0 for my first year and it taught me a lot, probably in a safer way...
 
Turtle said:
Yep I totally agree with you! I used a 1.0 for my first year and it taught me a lot, probably in a safer way...
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Spot on again, first time in a RWD car with decent power I nearly killed myself...
 
Having all your driving in experience in a 1.0L k10/11 and then jumping into a high powered RWD car you're still not going to have the experience required to control that vehicle properly.

The only solution is more driver training and awareness.
 
Driving is a joke anyway. i have not met one person that sould be alowed to drive on the road, including me.

no body needs a car bigger than a 1.0 but people have v8s for fun. no one person needs a car bigger than a mini to get themselves to work etc yet there are people driving beemers...

people should be checked like astronaughts are, to make sure they are fully aware at all times and not druged up, to be at peak physical condition, with no disabilitys etc..... but they are not.

so this law would not make an ounce of difference, just like speed cameras, rumble strips, and fog lights. people don't pay attention to the fact they are in control of a very dangerous peice of machinery...

this is why i think we will never have flying cars etc cos the general public can't be trusted with them... even planes are only alowed to be piloted by trained pros and how many plane crashes have happened.

</rant>
 
Its a stupid idea. Alot of young people drive at night for genuine reasons. Fancy going out for the day and having to be back home for 6! Most people dont finished work till that time, or people working in shops and supermarkets etc. They cant possibly weigh up the pro's and con's of this. Its also very stereotypical, 1 moment they are discussing disallowing age restrictions on jobs, now they are talking about enforcing age restrictions on driving. It'll never happen just like raising the age restriction of people learning to drive.
 
as my instructor used to say "drivings not a right........its a priviledge" thats always stuck in my mind but its not what u drive its how u drive it for instance somebody whos justpassed in his 1.2 corsa doin 100+ down the motorway or ur dad doin 100+ in his beemer whats the difference both sat similar tests both passed its based on the individual and for that reason u cant tar everyone with the same brush so and the laws in this country are a farce anyway so it'll just be another one on the list which the cops can do u for.
 
Same rules as bikes, restrict the power for under 21's or for 2 years. If you're over 21 you can do direct access.

Should be the same for cars imo
 
The Mad Hatter said:
Spot on again, first time in a RWD car with decent power I nearly killed myself...
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i can back that up i look at the dent in my 200 as being lucky cause some how i missed the lampost going to impact on the drivers side however passenger rear and a fence meet though.
 

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welly said:
i can back that up i look at the dent in my 200 as being lucky cause some how i missed the lampost going to impact on the drivers side however passenger rear and a fence meet though.
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yeah but you learn by doing. i definatly think theyre should be age restrictictions on some cars but to be honest apart from a few special cases theyre is, what with insurance premiums being so high and most companies not insuring younger drivers on powerfull cars until theyre 21.

i would say that people should be retested every 3-5 years but to be perfectly honest it would annoy the crap out of me. i definatly think theyre should be a maximum age you can drive at though. i people who drive on english roads should pass the english tests.

to be fair we have one of the the hardest test in the world. its just young people are learning to pass the test as apposed to learning how to drive and theyre geting good at it. this is wha happened with me and it a miracle i didnt crash within the first week.
 
Restricting the engine size is pointless, whether your driving a 900cc fiat cinq or a 5 litre V8 car, you can still break the speed limit, you can still lose control and you still kill people.
 
hughes_16v said:
Restricting the engine size is pointless, whether your driving a 900cc fiat cinq or a 5 litre V8 car, you can still break the speed limit, you can still lose control and you still kill people.
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I agree, a restriction on power to weight would be far better, alongside a restriction to top speed.
 
hughes_16v said:
Restricting the engine size is pointless, whether your driving a 900cc fiat cinq or a 5 litre V8 car, you can still break the speed limit, you can still lose control and you still kill people.
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its not a question of restriciting cars so that you cant go above 30. The idea is to stop inexperianced drivers hopping into there dads maserati and killing themselves due to incompetance. What would you trust a new driver to not kill themselves in? a 1.0 micra or a 400bhp lambo?

powerfull rear drive cars are mch harder to drive at all let alone control so at least this would limit a few accidents in new drivers.
 
59 bhp is more than enough said:
What would you trust a new driver to not kill themselves in? a 1.0 micra or a 400bhp lambo?
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A new inexperienced driver shouldnt be able to get insurance on a 400bhp lambo though. I've been driving 3 years but still have to wait another 2 or 3 before i can get a decent powerful car, well, evo or subaru etc.

new drivers cant just jump into a high power car, unless they've not bothered getting insurance and are driving illegally, as we think the situation is in the lambo case.

Rear wheel cars are probably difficult to drive in the wet, or if your ragging it down country roads, but the same goes for a 1 litre. You take that round a country bend too quick and your gone, or worse, someone else. Nobody would have any problems if they drove carefully and responsibly.
 
Arnold said:
A new inexperienced driver shouldnt be able to get insurance on a 400bhp lambo though. I've been driving 3 years but still have to wait another 2 or 3 before i can get a decent powerful car, well, evo or subaru etc.

new drivers cant just jump into a high power car, unless they've not bothered getting insurance and are driving illegally, as we think the situation is in the lambo case.

Rear wheel cars are probably difficult to drive in the wet, or if your ragging it down country roads, but the same goes for a 1 litre. You take that round a country bend too quick and your gone, or worse, someone else. Nobody would have any problems if they drove carefully and responsibly.
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yeah but thats my point a 400bhp lambo will be more difficult to drive quickly or lacking concentration which every new driver has done at time in there lives. Plus if you set out to be a sensible driver and you drive a lambo you more inclined to use the power and with in experiance this could make you crash. im not saying that if you drive a micra your not gonna crash im merely trying to say that powerfull cars and young/in-experianced drivers are more likely to crash than young/inexperianced drivers in less power full cars that are easier to drive. fact!
 
59 bhp is more than enough said:
yeah but thats my point a 400bhp lambo will be more difficult to drive quickly or lacking concentration which every new driver has done at time in there lives. Plus if you set out to be a sensible driver and you drive a lambo you more inclined to use the power and with in experiance this could make you crash. im not saying that if you drive a micra your not gonna crash im merely trying to say that powerfull cars and young/in-experianced drivers are more likely to crash than young/inexperianced drivers in less power full cars that are easier to drive. fact!
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It maybe fact, but its impossible for young or inexperienced drivers to get these powerful cars you are referring to with insurance procedures the way they are. I know insurance procedures are a bit messed up, for example i can get cover on a Nissan 200 S14 turbo, but not a suburu impreza, but there's no way they'l let a 17/18 year old go get cover on a Mitsubishi 3000 or an Evo etc.

I know yeah if you throw 10 newbies in a slow and a fast car, chances are they'l crash the fast one, but in the real world that just doesnt happen - unless cars arent being insured etc.
 
Imo, the current testing methods should be scrapped. Someone mentioned a very good idea of allowing instructors to decide if someone's fit to drive over numerous different sessions, instead of showing how to drive slowly and carefully for 40 minutes.
 
Surely better enforcement of driving standards is required?

You know you have your two year probation after you pass your driving test - what about some kind of refresher at the end of each year? Kinda like a driving test, but without the pressure of a test. An approved instructor/examiner spends an hour or so out and about to assess driving. Or, maybe this is something where the Police (as much as I hate this idea) could actually be out and about on quiet country roads now and again, patrolling for moronic drivers - instead of clamping down on 'boy racers' and closing off car parks etc.

Maybe it's a stupid idea - but I can't see restrictions on time of driving, size of engine etc working. Up here they seem hell bent on nabbing young drivers in town for trivial things, rather than keeping an eye out where the roads are more dangerous and catch more folk out. There's been a lot of acidents up here in the past 12 months, police allready have said all but one of the fatalities could have been prevented by a better standard of driving..:down:
 
aberdeen police suck, i spent a while in kemny (sp?) last year, and i only saw one patrol car in all that time.
 
to be fair a refresher course after each year is a good idea but it would just annoy people especially if they have busy schedules. There is no simple answer to this and yeah although there are quite a few accidents and fatalitites on the roads when compared to other countries we are one of the better ones.
 

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