The driving test should be overhauled to include a new ‘etiquette’ section to nip road rage, middle lane hogging and selfish parking in the bud, according to a report in The Telegraph.
According to a study by the insurer Intune, four out of five motorists would back the idea if it helped curb behaviour such as overtaking on the inside or bad parking, found. There was also strong support for making all drivers retake their tests periodically to iron out bad habits.
Mark Gettinby, director of financial services at Intune, said: “Statistically older drivers have more accidents but they are more likely to be minor accidents.
“It is important for all drivers, regardless of age, to ensure they are competent behind the wheel and keep up to date with their skills and road rules.
“Taking the time to be courteous towards other road users will also help make the roads safer for everyone.”
Click here to read the full Telegraph news report.
Making the test more challenging won’t necessarily resolve the issue of poor driving. Those who take or retake any kind of test will “jump through the hoops required”. Once they have passed they could easily revert back poor habits, either indirectly or by choice.
Continuing driver/rider education and skills development is the answer. There are already a number of very good programmes and assessments that are available. Those run by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and RoSPA, for both drivers and motorcyclists, Pass Plus for new drivers – overseen by the DSA, and the DSA’s Enhanced Rider Scheme (ERS) for motorcyclists who hold a full motorcycle licence.
The uptake of these programmes needs to be dramatically increased. More substantial insurance premium reductions is one route – greater reductions than are currently available. These then need to be very effectively promoted.
Mark – Wiltshire
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