Learner Drivers on motorways?

[chocki]

I took the Passplus course after learning to drive which included motorway driving.

 

I then use to use the motorway to go to my sisters in Barnsley (from Sheffield) at daft o'clock on a Sunday morning, quiet and great practice. I gained more confidence and, hey presto, now love motorway driving

[Olive]

I had a couple of post-test lessons on the motorway, and they were very useful. The AA were doing an offer of free lessons to nervous new drivers (this was back in 2009), and I was lucky enough to be accepted. I'd had an accident, which knocked my confidence, and I had no experience of motorway driving. I still use his advice today, specifically on overtaking technique and always returning to the left lane.

Those two hours were very valuable, and should be part of standard training.

 

That's a great idea. It's way overdue that we had a rethink on motorway training.

 

I wonder how many people bother having lessons on the motorway after they've passed their test? I'm guessing it's not that many (including me- I made do with a bit of tutoring fro my dad, who was an HGV driver, not sure if that was a good thing or not!).

 

What we have now is the paradox that learners aren't allowed on the motorways with their instructors, and then when they pass they're off, making it up as they (literally) go along! Hence the proliferation of sitting in the middle lane, hogging the third lane, tailgating etc.

 

I would say a period of compulsary motoway lessons (say 3 hours maybe?) before new drivers are let loose would be the way to go about it. I'm sure it would be possible to log this electronically with people's licences, the authorities seem to be able to record pretty much everything else about us.....maybe that's not such a great idea after all...

Edited December 31, 2016 by Olive

[the_bloke]

After driving back from the south coast in heavy fog today, I think motorway driving should be a compulsory part of the test.

[tinfoilhat]

After driving back from the south coast in heavy fog today, I think motorway driving should be a compulsory part of the test.

 

After doing particularly high miles through December, I'd echo that and add a retest every 5 years.

[Norseman]

After doing particularly high miles through December, I'd echo that and add a retest every 5 years.

 

Add to that Winter driving in snow, I'm not sure whether its drivers in Sheffield or UK as a whole....one snowflake and that's it, gridlocked traffic and drivers with no common sense whatsoever on how to drive in snow especially those with rear wheel drive cars and 4x4's

 

This should be mandatory

 

After I passed my test my dad took me onto the motorway for a couple of hours with me driving, I learnt a lot in that couple of hours, well worth it

Edited December 30, 2016 by Norseman

[tinfoilhat]

Add to that Winter driving in snow, I'm not sure whether its drivers in Sheffield or UK as a whole....one snowflake and that's it, gridlocked traffic and drivers with no common sense whatsoever on how to drive in snow especially those with rear wheel drive cars and 4x4's

 

This should be mandatory

 

After I passed my test my dad took me onto the motorway for a couple of hours with me driving, I learnt a lot in that couple of hours, well worth it

 

We don't get enough snow to make it worth it - we get plenty of fog though.

[Isabelle]

We don't get enough snow to make it worth it - we get plenty of fog though.

 

It does make sense to teach people how to drive in inclement conditions, but they are hard to replicate, unless it just happens to be snowing or foggy on one of your driving lessons. When I had my extra lessons, the snow had just melted, and the AA instructor said it was unfortunate that there was none left.

I'll admit, the accident I had was due to skidding on ice, and had I known more about driving on ice and snow, I might have managed not to hit that parked car.

[Cyclone]

Add to that Winter driving in snow, I'm not sure whether its drivers in Sheffield or UK as a whole....one snowflake and that's it, gridlocked traffic and drivers with no common sense whatsoever on how to drive in snow especially those with rear wheel drive cars and 4x4's

 

This should be mandatory

 

After I passed my test my dad took me onto the motorway for a couple of hours with me driving, I learnt a lot in that couple of hours, well worth it

 

How would this even work?

We've had only a few days of snow this year, and none of it settled on the roads, so you wouldn't allow anyone who's been learning for the past year to get a license?

 

---------- Post added 31-12-2016 at 10:10 ----------

 

After driving back from the south coast in heavy fog today, I think motorway driving should be a compulsory part of the test.

 

The reason it's not compulsory is that some people live long distances form the nearest motorway. If it's an hours drive to reach it, then it's not practical to either learn on it, or be tested on it.

[iansheff]

When I was learning to drive hgv,s I was taken on motorway all time so don't see why it should be any different for car drivers tbh

 

Yes but you already had a licence and driving experience, I assume you had driven a car on the motorway.

 

Many years ago when I first started with lessons at Handsworth S of M they used to run motorway lessons for people when they had passed their test.

[Gamston]

The reason it's not compulsory is that some people live long distances form the nearest motorway. If it's an hours drive to reach it, then it's not practical to either learn on it, or be tested on it.

 

That was a good point made yesterday by one of the motoring organisation representatives . They suggested that in areas where a suitable stretch of a motorway is near, then that could form part of a test route.