The driving standard within the UK has slipped horrendously whilst simultaneously continuously being highly over regulated. My suggestion is reducing the age you can start to learn to 16 with learners holding off passing their test until 17. My own personal experience of learning to drive tractors from a really young age is the key reason for my spatial awareness whilst driving that is significantly lacking in those that only start to learn when they are 20+. I think the year of learning to drive would teach kids patience and reduce deaths in younger drivers.
There are lots of driving rules in place that have removed people from undertaking the assessment of risk themselves, as we teach people to comply rather than think. Who complies with 20 mph zones apart from grannies already driving precariously at that speed. Why will I get fined if I don’t wear my seatbelt for the 2 minute journey to the local shop. An angry face sign will not make me reduce my speed as I have faith in my driving skills to react appropriately.
There are new laws created for people that die purely due to their own reckless driving and inexperience. This is control of the many due to the incompetent few and the more controls put in place the incompetent few become the incompetent many.
As a rural guy who married a city girl, I can say that city drivers are all awful.
Especially those with non British driving licence’s or ones that share a single licence between the whole extended family.
The real problem with drivers is that there are a lot of people who drive like they are in Delhi not dartford. And no rule or law change will improve their driving.
The other blight I have on the roads is the very old, but that may be because a lot of the old around here are city people who have retired to the country so I’m not sure if it’s a city thing or an old thing.
All in all I think rural licenses should be needed for people to drive outside of cities.
insurance companies should mandatory report all bad accidents to the DVLA, those drivers should have fines for multiple accidents where they are at fault.
Not a fan of adding in a further license if we don’t need it.
You’re right about driving like their in Delhi, it is foreign plates that I’ve seen are the worst especially those used to driving on the opposite side of the road and haven’t even checked the local driving regulations and have no idea where on the road to drive.
Sadly most driving teachers I meet on the road are terrible as well. Not a high standard that you’d wish to be teaching the next generation.
I grew up in a rural area and later moved to the city. Cities, actually, I have lived in several and how now moved to a ‘God’s waiting room’ (I’m 78, I can say things like that) town on the south coast famous for its driverless Nissan Micras. Not some Musk miracle in this case, but some ancient person peering over the steering wheel, or even through it.
In my opinion it is rural drivers who are awful. They will sit a roundabout for 20 minutes waiting for someone to move. They drive as if they are on the farm and have the whole width of the road to themselves. So the problem you are having is old rural people. City dwellers tend to drive faster, can park, and are used to not stopping at every give way sign. They are called ‘give way’ for a reason.
As for rural licences for city people, that should be the other way around. One of the main dangers driving in London during school holidays is the country tourist venturing into the big city. They have know idea where they came from, where they are or where they are going and the words ‘lane discipline’ have no meaning. And, believe it or not, there is not a ten mile per hour speed limit on city streets.
