Speed doesn't kill, the inability to drive at speed does! Compulsory motorway lessons NOW!?

Question

The fastest you go on your test is 40mph! It's not good enough!

Jarrad; If thats your attitude no wonder you need guns! I am 47yrs old and have worked in logistics all my life, i have seen the inability to handle a vehicle on a daily basis, and i've scraped them off the road afterwards!
People need to know how their vehicle will behave at speed! They are never taught this! The lack of education is criminal!

Answer 1

I think that would be a great idea. Maybe they could have a two part test where the learner lest they do now is the first part followed by an advanced sort of test, six or more months later, that would incorporate driving faster, driving in different conditions and dealing with skids etc.
I was a driving instructor for five years but used to get my pupils to drive in the country and on duel carriageways where they would have tuition at higher speeds.

Answer 2

Tests should incorporate real life challenges (nightmares), learning three point turns are great, so are parallel parking, reverse around corners maybe (never had to do one since my test) but they do nothing for the dangers we can encounter of the roads.

They go on about increasing the age of driving, but what is the point if the test remains the same? I never encountered skids in my test or learning, I only know how I would handle one because I’ve played ’driving games’ and the fact my Dad told me when I was a kid, I don’t even know if could put this knowledge to practice. It is the variables like that, that need to be covered, facing aggressive drivers, crashes, accidents, there needs to be local test centres that do more than go for a jolly ride in the sun.

People like to drive fast, it’s a fact we must face, some have control, some don’t. You don’t ‘really’ know how you/a car will react until you’ve gone round a corner at speed, and then, how will you correct it? Alright, no one should be driving at speed round corners, but it happens because people want to push the boundaries, doing this in a safe environment could deter people from doing it on the road.

Learning to drive shouldn’t just be learning how to drive correctly, you should also be learning how to get yourself out of nasty situations.

Answer 3

Simulators would also be useful to show how typical cars behave in different circumstances. For example, under heavy braking. I know from experience, fortunately harmless, that a heavy, comfortable, car is not the most stable of things when braking heavily at speed. Knowing what you car will do if you have to do an emergency stop from 50, 60,...90 would be most instructive.

If simulators were compulsory then their cost would come down, and the opportunities for improved training would increase. Mobile versions could also be used for random testing; which could reduce accidents due to alcohol / tiredness.

Answer 4

Here are a few statistics from the U.K. Government:

Motorways are the safest roads to drive on in Britain - they also have the highest average speed.

75% of all road accidents occur at LESS than 30mph.

4% of all road accidents occur as a direct result of excessive speed.

8% of all road accidents occur as a direct result of the driver being distracted by children in the vehicle.

14% of all road accidents occur as a direct result of a pedestrian walking in front of a vehicle.

20% of all road accidents occur as a direct result of the driver mis-reading road signs/directions, or not knowing where they are going.

Like the man says, speed DOESN'T kill - stupidity does...

Answer 5

Do you somewhat % different human beings to respond to this question? of path the two mutually will kill you. effective, you're able to do one hundred mph on a twin carriageway as long because of the fact the line is obvious and you're actually not in-dangering different drivers, yet how do you know your tyre won't burst, your exhaust fall off or your engine seizes up, an animal without warning runs out in front of you, you do not, there isn't any way you will possibly have the means to end in time. undesirable driving is the two as risky, reducing different drivers up, staying interior the exterior lane doing 30 mph, tail gating, fog lights on while there isn't any fog. and so on. i've got under no circumstances elementary any driver that exceeds the cost decrease to do it because of the fact they're concentrating, theypersistent speedy because of the fact they're idiots, brainless boys who think of they very own the line and all and sundry might desire to get out of their way. The "i will go swifter than you" syndrome, and the "devour my airborne dirt and dust" ailment. you % help.

Answer 6

i agree, speed doesnt kill, but stopping fast can...

heres some scary math. 5250 feet in a mile

at 30 youre doing 88feet per second
at 60 mph its 166feet per second
at 90 mph is 254 feet per second

so at 90, that a 4 second quarter mile..so if someone pulls out of their drive half a mile up the road, youve got 4 seconds, maybe 6 before you slam into the back of them, or crash trying to avoid them.. esp when your doing a mile in around 16 seconds... we dont know whats around corners, some young kids seem to thing its a playstation game... any fool can go fast... holding onto it, and stopping, theres the trick

Answer 7

Speed does kill. On a race track one can drive as fast as one can but on the ordinary road a fast driver is relient upon the reflexes of other road users.

Answer 8

Yes - and how to control a skid, drive in snow etc, as well as basic maintenance of the car, although I think they are starting to do that now.

Answer 9

Speed definately does NOT kill. It's the sudden stop that kills.

Answer 10

So therefore people should be able to drive at high speeds as long as they "know how to" ? Do you even understand the concepts of physics and how long it takes for you to react in a dangerous situation when you're speeding ?