From: martin@praxis.co.uk (Martin Croxford)
Newsgroups: uk.transport
Subject: RE: Rear end drivers, etc
Date: 5 Jan 93 09:10:49 GMT
Distribution: uk
Organization: Praxis, Bath, U.K.

Martin Croxford wrote:

>I advocate a two-tier driving test, with the current test the
>basis for the first tier, and a system that limits performance to driving
>experience, for example two years experience required to drive a 1600cc
>car. 

Alison J Wyld replied:

> I think it would be useful to include motorway driving in the current
> test, as is already done in lots of other countries.  I still remember
> the EXTREME terror I felt when driving on a motorway for the first
> time - and I'd deliberately got my husband to go with me on a quiet
> evening, so that I'd have someone to talk me through things if I did
> start doing anything dumb.

My father took on a similar role when I first passed my test (he refused
to let me drive his car alone till I'd proved I could drive). 

I agree in principle that motorway driving should be in the test, though
I'd probably put it in my second tier. I'm sure that most people who
use motorways incorrectly do so because they havn't been told any
differently.

There is some scope for learning to motorway drive as a learner already;
many motorway driving skills can be acquired on dual carriageways and I
know of one dual carriageway that has 3 lanes and a hard-shoulder which,
apart from non-motorway traffic being allowed to use it, is more-or-less
a motorway (the A3 from the Robin Hood roundabout to Guildford).
 
> I'm not so sure if a "power-limit" would help.  When I passed my test,
> we had a Morris Minor.  Four months later we sold it and got a Triumph
> Vitesse (2L, 6 cylinder, loads of vrooming noises).  I'm sure the
> Vitesse has made me a better driver.  The Minor was so easy to drive,
> and so forgiving of mistakes, that it was easy just to mooch along
> without paying proper attention.  I've never ever done that in the
> Vitesse - it just won't let me.  

For many people I would agree, particularly for the older new driver. But
how many new drivers (especially those below 20) would go from mooching
along without paying proper attention to driving with excessive
speed/acceleration without paying proper attention ? 
 
Steve Sherwood wrote:
 
> It was a dark night, on the M4, driving away from london when suddenly it
> started to get foggy, thicker and thicker until I slowed down to about 20mph
> crawling along.  After half an hour I saw some flashing amber lights in the
> central reservation.  One of the Matix signs.  I wondered if there had been
> and accident or something.  The sign slowly loomed out of the fog.... closer
> and closer until eventually I could see what it said.  It said "Fog" :-|
> Usefull Huh ?

Amen. Until somebody comes up with drive-by-wire we'll just have to make
do with limiting our speed so that we can stop in the distance that we
can see to be clear ahead. 

--
Martin Croxford          Praxis Systems plc, 20 Manvers St, Bath. BA1-1PX. UK.
martin@praxis.co.uk      Tel: +44 (0)225 444700        Fax: +44 (0)225 465205
These are my views and not necessarily those of Praxis or Touche Ross.
Newsgroups: uk.transport