Friday 29 March 2024
LIFESTYLE

Should drivers be better prepared for the road?

It’s no secret that roads can be dangerous places. With so many cars zooming around, those with limited experience often struggle when they first get their license, finding it hard to know what they need to do to be safe on the road. This didn’t use to be a problem, with most roads being relatively quiet.

Of course, though, more and more cars are hitting the road all the time, and this has made it worth considering the idea of making tests more stringent. But do drivers really need to be better prepared to hit the road?

The current situation

In the UK, it’s possible to get your hands on a driving license after passing two simple tests; a theory exam and a practical assessment. Most people don’t pass the first time, but there are a lot of conditions that can make this process easier for some than others.

For example, many people deliberately have their lessons and test in an area with quieter roads than those they will usually be using, making the test a little too easy for them. The fact that many people don’t pass these tests shows that they are hard, though this doesn’t distract from the fact that many instructors claim that they train people to pass the test, rather than to drive safely.

Making it stricter

There is a lot of work that could be done to make it harder for people to get a driving license. A probationary period that makes it easier to lose your license would help to keep people focused on driving well, while extended tests and more vigorous training could also help to improve people’s skills.

Making something like this stricter doesn’t have to make it unpleasant or awkward. In fact, with the right time and effort, most people should be able to become excellent drivers, while also having some fun in the process.

Does it need to be stricter?

Some people would argue that driving training in the UK is already too hard, or that it should be changed entirely to make up for the shortfalls that it has. Of course, though, many people who book driving theory test exams and practical assessments want to be the best driver that they can be.

This makes it seem as though simply giving more incentives to those who decide to take on advanced driving courses could be a good way to start improving road safety. Currently, people can shave a small amount from their insurance with this feature, but this isn’t enough to justify it for many.

Ensuring that roads are safe is going to be an increasingly pressing challenge over the next decade. Computer-driven cars are likely to solve this problem in the future, but this doesn’t mean that people should give up and simply wait. Many people die on roads each year, but this could largely be avoided if everyone had the highest standards of training.

 

** This is a collaborative post

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