i agree with george T, a motorway test and additional test for towing anything over 750Kg gets my vote. When I took my HGV test in 83, it wasn't just being able to drive it was having the right attitude to other road users. A lot of these B class drivers driving the old HGV3 class vehicles just don't have any respect for the amount of wieght they are carrying and what damage they could do, due to inconsiderate driving, like driving in the third lane of the motorway.
John
------------- I..R..E..N..E
I Really Ear Nuffing Ever
Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way when you do criticise him you'll be a mile away and have his shoes
No not in the least Ironic, I took a 10 day trip to Belguim at end of August, driving on their autobahns was a joy to behold
Everyone left space for overtaking vehicles to pull back in
When overtaking if they saw anyone aproaching fro the rear, they pulled in to allow the faster vehicle past (not as in UK crawling past all 10 vehicles they were overtaking)
No one stayed in the overtaking lanes a second longer than necessary, even BMW drivers.
I can honestly say it was the best driving I have ever seen, the only times it failed I said to wife "British dickhead alert" and every time we caught up with the offending driver it was a Brit.
Fact not a bit of fiction or irony, the British are probably the worst and most inconsiderate drivers around.
Have to agree with George on this one driving on the autobahns in Germany and Belguim is a lot easier than UK Motorways spent 5 years in Germany then had to tackle a british motorway
Irene
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I Really Ear Nuffing Ever
Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way when you do criticise him you'll be a mile away and have his shoes
I have driven through Belguim on many ocassions. I accept what you say about lane disciplain but this is true of Germany and France. I suppose i have driven in excess of 25000 miles in Europe I have generally found the Belguims the ones that pull in front of you too quickly and there have been several other instances that I could recall. Having said that the Belguims I have actually met and chatted with have been delightful. Not sure I would go as far as you do about UK drivers but I know what you mean. They hate the idea of letting a caravan join any road ahead of them!!!
Quote: Originally posted by GeorgeTelford on 27/10/2004
Hi Irene
Its the Lane discipline that makes it an absolute pleasure, the trouble is that over here there are no Motorway lessons. When your out and about have a look at the driving instructor cars here in Telford as i was behind one last week that had "Motorway lessons" in big letters on the back of it
And building motorways with more lanes not going to help if the British cant cope with three lanes having four is not going to help.
Most of the mains over there are 2 lane its the lane discipline that keeps everything flowing smoothly. Yep in Germany the police will pull you over if you sit in the outside lane when you are able to pull back in. Mind you we have the Highway Code they have Laws of the road, As we were living there,in 1990, we had to sit a written theory test to enable us to drive long term on their roads due to the laws.
Irene
------------- I..R..E..N..E
I Really Ear Nuffing Ever
Before you criticise a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way when you do criticise him you'll be a mile away and have his shoes
The motorway test would be extremely easy, its only a few Very simple rules (and yes BMW driver they apply to you as well)
Overtake then pull back in.
Overtaking more than one vehicle?
Carry on past all unless you see someone approaching you in your rear view mirror, in which case pull in to allow the faster vehicle past (regardless of whether you are doing the legal maximum, you are not the police get out of the way)
The above is not a licence to stay in the overtaking lane because you can see another vehicle (to overtake) in the distance
When approaching the rear of another vehicle stay back far enough so the any vehicle passing you can get back in, If the vehicle in front is going slower than you want to overatake.
Congestion on motorways in UK would be cut dramatically if the above was enforced
That's the problem George. When people say they want to learn to drive, that isn't what they mean.
To be truthful what they should say is - I want to pass the test & get a full licence in as few lessons as possible as cheaply as I can. Or I only want to pay for my child to have 10 lessons, that will be enough regardless of what the Driving Standards Agency advise.
So there's no chance of the majority paying any more for motorway lessons after they have passed.
------------- Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.
Unless they legislate and make it a compulsory test, I would not mind if they backdate it to include everyone including me to have to take the motorway supplement, then get Plod to enforce lane discipline, caught twice (via police report) then report back for motorway test again.
It would not take long before everyone would be following a few simple rules, BMW could probably come up with a Dash warning to help drivers of their vehicles cope with the extra complication ( it seems it would only be needed on UK imports )
I have had the wrong impression for the last 39years I always thought that BMW drivers owned the road and were very kind to let us use it providing we gave them priority when they were on the road.
les
------------- The worst day fishing is better than the best day working
Quote: Originally posted by les + june on 28/10/2004
I have had the wrong impression for the last 39years I always thought that BMW drivers owned the road and were very kind to let us use it providing we gave them priority when they were on the road.