Learner drivers

Can I please put in a plea for people to actually bother to indicate in car parks? OK, there might be any other cars around, but pedestrians would appreciate knowing if you are planning to suddenly turn into a place where we are about to walk!

And a very simple bit of advice for new (or maybe all?) drivers, keep your speed down, and your distance up. You never know what the driver of the car in front is going to do, so don't get too close, and you have a better chance of reacting well and safely to events if you are driving at a reasonable speed.

Our rural roads are really badly potholed now, especially near the edges. Perhaps because of this, a lot of drivers have started driving in the middle of the roads and are reluctant to move over very far when they pass a vehicle coming the other way. We have seen so many near misses recently because of this. And that is on the straight stretches, so you can imagine what it is like on the bends. As there doesnt seem much likelyhood of the holes being filled in, how to safely negotiate pot holes needs to be taught too!

Many, many years ago a neighbours son moved to Scotland and died when his car hit a tractor. I'm sure that it doesn't occur to many people that, when going round a corner on a rural road, there could be something they might drive into. Having said that, my daughter lives in the next village to me and I very rarely drive to her house without someone driving very fast round one of the bends, usually slightly on the wrong side of the road and with one hand on their mobile phone [can't believe that is still happening]. And these are people that have been driving for years .

I was stopped once by police for going too slow!! It was dark and very cold/icy but they weren't impressed by that!

What about those who live in the centre of big conurbations? Will they have to take their driving tests 30 miles plus away from home in order for the examiner to find some country roads.

DH has done, and passed the Institute of Advanced Motorists' test and one of the contentious issues there is is that, unless road/weather etc conditions dictate otherwise you are expected to drive to the speed limit, whatever that may be or the national speed limit in non-controlled roads.

This means if there is a long straight on a country road you are meant to speed up to 60, and slow down when you reach the end and the road bends etc, which I think is ridiculous. I think that you should drive at a steady speed with some variation if the road is clear ahead but I cannot see that it is good practice to constantly accelerate and slow down and have therefore decided not to do the IAM test. DH failed it the first time for not driving fast enough!!!!!

If it was purely for the test it might be a possibility but cost/distance/time rule out any regular exposure. It's a 440 mile round trip from north Scotland to the nearest motorway, taking 11 hours driving not including meal stops and a driving lesson. Using a local (to the motorway) driving school car and taking the train is even worse. That's a 14 hour round trip - again not including meal stops and lesson. It also costs in the region of £70 for the train. It's not as simple as making an effort, the logistics do not make it feasible.

Hi Anya, I quite agree that riders, cyclists and of course walkers have just as much right to use roads as motorists - we have several footpaths crossing our local roads & it's not uncommon to see groups of hikers. I apologise if I appeared to be suggesting otherwise. My post however was specifically to do with drivers on rural roads. Maybe this thread is pointing out that all rural road users, be they riders of horses or bikes, drivers of cars or walkers should be more aware of others! Regarding the speed limit, our closest road is classed as a "quiet lane" and the speed limit is 20mph - there are parts of the road where I feel 10 is more appropriate as you never know what's coming from around the blind corner - a tractor with a fully laden trailer going downhill doesn't stop very fast! Neither does a group of cyclists...! My daughter did a lot of reversing practice in empty car parks, not just parallel parking. My son started driving on the farm when he was 6 & could competently reverse a tractor & trailer round a corner into a shed by the time he was 12..now, I've had 36 years practicing reversing up our lanes but I could never quite get the hang of that !!

We have an issue, in our neck of the woods, with deer jumping hedges and landing on the road. It's especially dangerous at night. However there are signs warning of the danger but this doesn't appear to register with certain types.

GrammaH as someone on this thread has already pointed out, the road is not only for cars and other motorised vehicles. Horses and cyclists have just as much rght to use it as motorists and are far more vulnerable.

I learnt to drive in Germany many (!) Years ago. We had to show competency merging on to, changing lanes and safely leaving a motorway. If you lived a long way from the autobahn, tough. If we wanted to pass our tests we had to make the effort.

We live over 100 miles from a motorway-no chance whatsoever that our learners will get any experience!

Imperfect27 your post reminded me that in my DD's last year at school a classmate was killed when driving home along narrow country roads which were slick after rain; she had been going at the speed limit (40) and it seems she hadn't considered that the road conditions were not suitable, skidded on a corner and went into a ditch. Very sad, I felt at the time she may have thought the speed limit was a recommended rather than max speed.

The speed limit is not a target I like that quote, i might use it soon. My daughter has recently passed and I think she drives a bit too fast. I was saying, "what's the rush, we're not late! The speed limit is not a compulsory speed just a maximum." I confess I am a nervous passenger!

It's a good idea - I learned to drive in Devon and so got plenty of practice with rural roads and there were some in my test. It's not just learners though.
I think a big problem is actually that some experienced drivers bomb along narrow lanes as though they own them, completely unaware that another vehicle may appear round the corner.
I've a good friend who regularly drives at around ten miles above the speed limit (very experienced driver and maybe over-confident) - she's got away with it so far. I always worry that one day her luck will run out.

I am not good at reversing as I have limited mobility in my neck and don't trust mirrors! So I take it very slowly and have only once scraped my car (on a wall) in full view of a busload of school children! I drive a lot on country roads and find people riding horses to be sensible and courteous, and grateful to courteous drivers. Cyclists, on the other hand, are a menace. And that Lycra, especially on the, ahem, not-so-young! Yuck!

Parking sensors and rear view cameras, if only!

I have a concern from when I worked for the company that t(then) administered the driving theory test. The test was available in something over 70 languages and dialects and it always concerned me that is someone's grasp of English was so poor that they had to take a test in their native tongue how safe were they really on the roads?

In the 70's when I lived in Germany , I had to take a test and no quarter was given for not being a German speaker. I had to learn what everything meant. There was no question of me asking for the test to be presented in English .

( sorry slightly off topic I know )

Wondering how those people who live many miles from a motorway will get that experience.

I have to take my life in my hands to get out of my driveway which is on a bend in a small village, where drivers fly though in the mistaken belief apparently that no one lives here.I can of course listen for cars coming.............BUT the cyclists fly through almost silently, and the sights I have seen in lycra don't bear thinking about.

I've always been able to park easily I was taught with a matchstick placed in the middle of the back windscreen and keep it central when reversing and after a few goes got it right,I even told my DGS the trick when he was learning and it worked for him.
I would like to see more people experienced and learners using their indicators so many people don't bother and leave you guessing which way they are going.

GrammaH I don't have any difficulty reversing, including in and out of tight car park spaces in supermarkets - only the parallel bit worries me because I don't want to risk scratching someone else's car. At the time I was learning, it always seemed to be the case that the car owner was watching anxiously from a window or appeared at their door. Can't say I blame them, but I think this has stayed with me!

I think some of the problem with reversing is the height of the driver and also the height and position of the rear screen. I am about 5'3" and find with many newer models the back window is high it is difficult to get a really good view etc - I do do some reversing just using the mirrors but although we have the reversing sensors we do not have a camera.
One of my DGS in America passed his drivixng test a few weeks ago. They are allowed to begin driving at a younger age than here and as DS works for a big Auto company he has access to test tracks and at times the skid pan etc. So besides his normal lessons DGS also had some training on these facilities. They are not just allowed complete freedom on the roads when they have passed the test. He is allowed to take his sibling in the car or one friend for the ride to school. They are only allowed to drive till about 9/10 pm as well. The restrictions are gradually lifted.

Oh Yes, cyclists....a whole bunch taking up the entire lane so no one can get past...3 miles at 5mph...great!

Horses can be a very real hazard and there are many horse owners in our area. However, I have to say it's not always the drivers who are a problem to the horses ! Some riders don't help their cause by riding several abreast down the windy narrow lanes & don't always think of high viz jackets. Don't get me started on the' horse muck in the road 'subject! Re reversing skills - have a bit of a practice in a quiet supermarket car park in the evenings- It's something every driver should be able to do!

A sensible idea, better than learning how to follow a sat nav.