Should everyone have to resit their driving test every five years?

[Tanis8472]

Quite suprised at some of these posts by folk I thought were more logical

I would rather see more marked and unmarked police out on the roads. You will notice a huge difference in driving behaviour when police cars are about.
I have seen an unmarked car around here catch quite a few knobheads out recently. I actually laughed out loud at one when a knob on a motorbike overtook a queue of traffic on the wrong side of an island and then proceeded to stop in an ASL while lights were still on red. He probably got a nice set of points for that.

This sort of thing will not be caught by retesting as a lot would behave for the test.

 

[Profpointy]

People who cannot reverse park should never have been given a licence in the first place.

Umm, depends when they did their test. I never did reverse parking in my test, but because of where I now live I'm bloody good at it of necessity. My Mrs struggles with reverse parking our too-big car but she did do it on her test.

 

[green1]

Maybe everyone should have to report to a police station every 5 years for interrogation too. I don't think testing would achieve much anyway. It's not like people forget how to drive. I'd rather see the VED raised by say £50 a year and the money spent on speed cameras and more policing, and actually enforcing the law, maybe lose your licence after six points, proper sentences for dangerous and careless driving, serious consequences for anyone who kills or injures someone rather than a slap on the wrist. People need to be on the ball every time they drive, not just once every five years.

I'd far rather get rid of speed cameras and get traffic police back on the roads in far bigger numbers. Best way to increase driving standards if people know plod is back on the highways enforce.

 

[green1]

I would get rid of static, marked speed cameras. I would replace them with unmarked mobile cameras and average speed cameras.
After that, 12 points and you are out. No bleating, no special pleading. If your license is important to you, behave as though it is.

Speed cameras only prosecute one type of dangerous driving, there are plenty of other things people do on the roads that can be as if not more dangerous that they do not pick up on. The only way to discourage them is if people think they might get caught doing them, for that you need plod.

 

[green1]

Why does it have to be either/or? Why not have both? The speed cameras could help pay for the extra traffic police. Win-win!

Or you save the money spent on cameras and get even more traffic police who then pay for themselves.

 

[User6179]

Or he could chose to advance an argument with some reason for his opinion, rather than a lofty pronouncement with nothing behind it. Just a thought but, in the long run, that might prove to be more constructive.

Sorry I didn't realise you had already ruled on this.

 

[green1]

So cameras don’t pay for themselves?

Of course they do. They are a easy cash cow, that has led in a reduction in traffic police as the overheads are less. I play cricket with a traffic cop (1 of 6 in the area) who is leaving because he is fed up of roads policing policy being driven by fixation on speed and speed cameras.

 

[Tanis8472]

Manufacturers should be made to install devices which stop the car and decapitate the driver and electrocute all of its occupants the second it goes over the speed limit.

Why not, the technologies there?

 

[green1]

You do know that traffic officers don’t pay for themselves, don’t you? The fines they raise go to the Treasury. With speed cameras ‘netting off’ means that some of the income goes back to the camera partnership and can be use to fund police officers...

Yes I'm well aware. Around here all traffic would have to do is take a walk around the local taxi ranks on a Friday/Saturday night or any supermarket carpark at any time and check for bald tyres. The they fines they'd generate would more than cover the expense of their employment for a few weeks.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Mod Note Thread moved to Advocacy and Cycling Safety as it has matured in that general direction.

 

[Dirk]

Ask yourself about the cars' contribution to climate change. Imagine how far it could go. Wonder if that's a good thing or not. Then lash out at those wanting something better.

You totally missed the point of my objection to mandatory retesting being used as an underhand means of improving air quality and the environment.
They are separate issue from driver licensing and behaviour.
That is not 'lashing out' by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[RichK]

For my other hobby,l I am a signalman (on a steam railway). We are re-tested every three years to ensure continuing competence.

 

[User6179]

This aside, did you have any opinions about the subject of the thread?

I would put it in the road tax/insurance for bikes category, pointless and never going to happen!

 

[classic33]

For my other hobby,l I am a signalman (on a steam railway). We are re-tested every three years to ensure continuing competence.

That'll be for a private company, similar to the K&WVR. Where they have more staff than there would have been, before it became private.

 

[classic33]

OK, let's see your positive suggestions then.

Place a time limit on any new licence. To renew would involve a medical, paid for by the applicant, before any test could take place.

Manage that and it may be possible to do it for every driver, with a licence.