UK driving lessons to change - learners will be allowed on motorway - Polidicks

[QUOTE=matt.ant;33641088]You mean like this? [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK9-Ikcu0sY[/media][/QUOTE] The fact that the crash was at such high speeds and that everything looks relatively intact says a thing or two about how high the quality of vehicular construction has become.

I could be learning to drive in the next year and this is a bad idea, personally just driving one on a normal road seems intimidating at the current time.

[QUOTE=joe588;33641776]you learn in automatics so all you do is press a pedal to go and one to stop.[/QUOTE] To be honest I'd say it should be compulsory to learn on manuals. If only due to the fact that a novice driver is much more likely to end up driving one. Not really sure what the big deal of going on a motorway is though. Considering the instructor still has pedals on his side as well. [QUOTE=gazzy_GUI;33642935]I could be learning to drive in the next year and this is a bad idea, personally just driving one on a normal road seems intimidating at the current time.[/QUOTE] Driving on a motorway is not harder than driving on a normal road actually. It just requires a slightly different skillset and habits. Which is why this thing is incredibly good. A normal road driver will usually behave wrongly on the motorway and as such can be more prone to causing accidents (due to other drivers expecting different behaviours.) In a sense inner city traffic is way harder to learn to drive in than motorways or noncity traffic.

Could be worse. Maryland has the most retarded idea of the entire US for their requirements for a license. Basically, you have to take 10 days worth of driving classes than 3 one hour drives with a driving instructor. However you also need at least 60 hours with a parent or guardian. The last part would sound fine, but when you consider that Maryland has the worst drivers in the United States you realize that the worst drivers in the US are required to help teach their kids how to drive.

I heard there's some places in the US where you can just show, take a driving class and do a test, all in one day, then get your license.

[QUOTE=Carne;33640584]What, that's first allowed now? Been forever like that here in Norway. Actually, the whole driving course can take up to several months, while I heard in the UK you can finish in like a few weeks?[/QUOTE] I don't think there are any specific requirements for an amount of driving lessons before you can attempt your test. Just need a provisional licence and to have done your theory test. It's unlikely you'd pass if you'd only had a couple of lessons though, most people take several months before they're ready.

[QUOTE=Carne;33643072]I heard there's some places in the US where you can just show, take a driving class and do a test, all in one day, then get your license.[/QUOTE] I didn't even need to take a driving test for my learner's permit (which restricts you to driving with an adult in the passenger seat), and for my proper license, I didn't need to take a driving test since I had taken Driver's Education in high school. The learner's permit just required me to take a bullshit test (WHAT IS THE TOWING CAPACITY OF A CLASS A BUS?) and fill out some paperwork.

In Vancouver part of your test requires you to be on the highway. In Richmond you just have to travel ten blocks without hitting anything.

[QUOTE=dbk21894;33640309]Wait, your learners couldn't drive on motorways? My first time driving was on a 12 lane highway, during rush hour. I didn't die. I was scared shitless, but my driving instructor knew what he was doing.[/QUOTE] First time I got in a car for drivers ed we went on the interstate. I had to merge off the on-ramp in front of a big semi truck. After that, driving on little streets was nothing.

Non-story for this reason. [QUOTE=Docc;33641491]Learners can still go on A roads, some of them are pretty much motorways with fewer lanes, so we learn the skills needed on a motorway through that. Not sure what exactly the requirements of a road is before it's classified as a motorway, since some motorways only have 2 lanes anyway.[/QUOTE] A motorway is a dual carriageway with an extra lane (mostly). If you can do dual carriageways, which you do drive on while learning, you can do motorways.

In the US it's a requirement to have at least 10 hours of high-speed driving before we qualify for a license

[QUOTE=ewitwins;33643803]In the US it's a requirement to have at least 10 hours of high-speed driving before we qualify for a license[/QUOTE] In Queensland, Australia you're required to have 200hours of recorded driving, 3hours at night and something else ridiculous before you can take the permit test. And being a giant idiot, I didn't bother to get my learners while I was still in high school before this change happened, so I'm stuck with the 200hours.

[QUOTE=Jasun;33640983]When I was on the motorway somebody decided just to turn around, and start driving the opposite direction. wat.[/QUOTE] bloody aussies [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Zet;33646940]In Queensland, Australia you're required to have 200hours of recorded driving, 3hours at night and something else ridiculous before you can take the permit test. And being a giant idiot, I didn't bother to get my learners while I was still in high school before this change happened, so I'm stuck with the 200hours.[/QUOTE] 120 hours here, 20 hours night driving to get it I just drove around australia with my old man, 12 hours a day for two weeks

Back home, we don't have any motorways within 225 miles. Everyone just learns high-speed driving racing on the back roads.

No, no, no. Learners are slow enough on normal roads, let alone motorways. They can go on national speed limited dual carriage anyways.

Over here, we only learn inside the city. Learning to drive on a motorway is a waste really, there's a lot more dangerous shit inside the city than outside. What is it going to teach me exactly? To drive at the same speed for half an hour? Now, granted, there is stuff you can't really learn if you haven't gone through it (extreme weather conditions and stuff like that). But how exactly do you expect someone to teach you that during an actual lesson? Personally, I think the method here is best. 28 driving lessons, a test, and once you pass that you can't drive without an older, experienced driver (as defined by the law) for 3 months. And even after that, you're restricted to driving a maximum of 2 passengers in the vehicle (excluding yourself of course) for 2 years.

What was the purpose of preventing learners from driving on these highways anyway? The only way you learn to drive somewhere is to drive there

[QUOTE=Zeke129;33647441]What was the purpose of preventing learners from driving on these highways anyway? The only way you learn to drive somewhere is to drive there[/QUOTE] But what's the fucking point. I didn't learn anything new while driving outside of the city, there was nothing I needed to learn. The only time I did learn something was when my dad taught me how to drive when the vision of the road in front of you is blocked by a shit ton of rain and hail.

The more hours of driving required the better I say. There's a reason some countries have more car accidents than others.

Maybe now this can justify why there are motorway related questions on the theory tests

Living on a small island means that we have really easy roads, and thus really easy tests. There are no dual carriageways, there are no real roundabouts, only 2 or 3 mini roundabouts and one set of traffic lights. The only problem is we have terrible, terrible drivers because of it. I don't even know why the dealerships up here fit indicators, nobody uses them. I have my test in February, I hope it goes well. Also, when my dad was younger he had been driving since he was about 14 (illegally of course), and he actually only had one real lesson before his test, which he had a couple of days after his 17th birthday.

[QUOTE=Firewarrior;33640441]It's pretty weird that it wasn't allowed before. Even here in Germany it's part of the driving lessons and you HAVE to do it.[/QUOTE] 200kms down the autobahn on your L's would be awesome as fuck

[QUOTE=Contag;33646982]120 hours here, 20 hours night driving to get it I just drove around australia with my old man, 12 hours a day for two weeks[/QUOTE] I just checked online. It's actually 100 hours and 10 hours of night driving here. I was told it was 200hours when I got that logbook which I still need to fill in. I would do that but the price of petrol these days is insane. [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Carne;33647518]The more hours of driving required the better I say. There's a reason some countries have more car accidents than others.[/QUOTE] There's actually a lot of responsible people here in Australia but they get fucked over by dick heads racing in the streets and doing all sorts of crap that makes the required hours increase.

My first day learning how to drive, my dad made me drive on the main roads. The trick is to put so much pressure to not fuck up that you learn quicker. [editline]9th December 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=ewitwins;33643803]In the US it's a requirement to have at least 10 hours of high-speed driving before we qualify for a license[/QUOTE] Uh no it's not. That definitely wasn't a requirement for me.

[QUOTE=Zet;33648994] I would do that but the price of petrol these days is insane. [/QUOTE] yeah, you'd be looking at about a thousand bucks worth of petrol, it's a bit shit

Over here you have to go on the motorway as well. Or rather, you dont have to but you're not limited to where you can go. And if you drive slow you're going to get an earful from the instructor as well, not to mention it's not really all that hard to drive on motorways, you just have to know what you're doing.

I had to go on the highway after 3 lessons. I can't imagine why you wouldn't teach someone to drive on a highway at all and let him figure it out by himself once he gets his license. [QUOTE=Tobba;33640326]Oh god, fucking learning drivers on highways They usually go really slow and basicly blocks the entire lane with a vehicle going at 60 kph[/QUOTE] I actually have a whole different situation. My teacher tells me to stay on the right track and from time to time there's someone on there just driving 90 on a 120km highway.

I'm really surprised that they don't do this now, everybody here goes on the motorway (or highway, w/e) at least once or twice during their lessons

It's not even that different from driving on the dual carriageway (all the things like keeping a safe distance, merging properly, speed etc.), there's just more lanes also I have an irrational fear of huge roundabouts and I fucked up doing the test a few times now, I could easily have passed last time if I wasn't a motherfucking retard (did all the inner city "people-jumping-out-at-you-from-behind-bins" style driving just fine, then went and got in the wrong lane at the last roundabout to go straight ahead due to nerves - instant fail, even though there was nobody on the roundabout) i hate myself and want to die [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] plus the only practice I can really get is with my instructor, there's nobody in my family who's willing to take me out to practice

[QUOTE=Turnips5;33653692]It's not even that different from driving on the dual carriageway (all the things like keeping a safe distance, merging properly, speed etc.), there's just more lanes also I have an irrational fear of huge roundabouts and I fucked up doing the test a few times now, I could easily have passed last time if I wasn't a motherfucking retard (did all the inner city "people-jumping-out-at-you-from-behind-bins" style driving just fine, then went and got in the wrong lane at the last roundabout to go straight ahead due to nerves - instant fail, even though there was nobody on the roundabout) i hate myself and want to die [editline]10th December 2011[/editline] plus the only practice I can really get is with my instructor, there's nobody in my family who's willing to take me out to practice[/QUOTE] i failed on roundabouts as well! fuck those confusing pieces of shit