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Personally, I started driving at 29 - until then I lived in the centre of a city where car ownership was fairly impractical - and I had a minor crash in my first year which probably taught me a lot about driving more safely.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I wonder whether making drivers over 75 have a medical every couple of years would be a feasible option. It would be cheaper to administer than making them resit tests.
You could test eyesight and reaction times relatively easily and cheaply. I'd keep it independent of GPs as well.
If you go back 100 years though, they were probably safer than what was around at the time. How many people died falling off horses? How many accidents were there with horse drawn vehicles? A modern car is far safer.
A car? Well, it’s a huge metal box with windows. I sit in it and drive it, and its four empty seats, into work most days and then battle with other similar people to find a place to leave it for the day.
The evening? Yes, we all drive them home again and I battle with other similar people trying to find a space to leave it for the night.
Wouldn’t it be easier if it was smaller and had fewer seats? Well, we need those in the summer when we drive the family to the airport in it and leave it there for the week instead.
(although they probably cause them )
On a serious note, some kind of recording system [recording speed, acceleration etc.] should be fitted to every car. At least in the event of an accident we are not left depending on witness statements and/or dashcam footage.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Every 20/25 years would probably be more feasible. The roads are a lot different now to what they were in 1994, but not a great deal has changed since 2014.
I now drive for a living, though only part-time, and just last week I was tested by DriveTech and assessed as a low-medium risk. I also have to pass an internal assessment every single year, and if I have more than two 'incidents' a year, I am automatically referred for another assessment. (Having said that, in my job more than 85% of damage caused by drivers is low speed manouevring in customers' driveways, trying to turn the van around.)
As for doctors being forced to alert the DVLA about patients with problems they should own up to, doctors already are forced to - I have obstructive sleep apnoea, for which I use a CPAP machine. I have to be assessed for my sleep status every year, and the assessment is automatically sent to the DVLA. If I ever fail to come up to scratch, my licence will be automatically revoked. Same for anyone with a notifiable medical condition.
I also drive a Honda Civic, so fuck you.
Having said all that, I do think it would be a good idea for people over a certain age to be retested now and again. What that age should be, or how the test would work, I have no idea, it's something I think might be helpful in some way.
But if you think driving round here is scary, try driving in Italy. Their Highway Code appears to consist of the following, in its entirety -
Rule 1: Don't kill anyone.
Rule 2: Seriously? You need a rule 2? What are you, a fucking maniac? Refer to rule 1. Jesus.
The pedestrians are bad enough let alone the drivers/moped riders!
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A mandatory year of P plates with a requirement to complete the "advanced driving course" or whatever it's called now (motorway, rain/snow, maybe even a skid pad session) within that year might go a long way to helping those new drivers get that experience early and force them to engage with things like motorways in a more controlled way, rather than just let them go straight onto the M25 the day after they get their licence.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Whilst I don't agree with a full test for the oldies, I do agree that there should be a bi-yearly competence test coupled with a health check and eyesight test. I don't think the ability to park is a threat to life but certainly your ability to turn your head to see what's coming is.