Younger drivers - Posts split from Type R insurance

[harleyfatboy]

Topcat ...Hi ... Here are my thoughts on this..... I past my test waaaaay back when and the licence was a little red book about the size of a credit card ...NOW IT DOES NOT EXPIRE UNTIL 2025 ....As of time of writing i am upright ,compos mentis , and as far as i Know ok phsyicaly yet no one will challenge my right to drive untill the licence expires or i do ....So maybe licences should be of a shorter duration ? with tests in between...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by harleyfatboy

As of time of writing i am upright ,compos mentis , and as far as i Know ok phsyicaly yet no one will challenge my right to drive untill the licence expires or i do ....So maybe licences should be of a shorter duration ? with tests in between...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

compus mentis ? But you think your riding on a steel horse all the time

When my aunt had a stroke I wrote to the DVLA to tell them and she was not allowed to drive until the doctor gave her the all clear, he did that three months later. He has no idea what she is like on the road, I think that would be a good time for people to be re-tested before being allowed back on the road.

[harleyfatboy]

Topcat ...Someones got to....ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[Jack The Lad.]

Do you have a photo of the Fat Boy, to post HFB. ??
I see a Honda Gold Wing about twice a week, which has everything on it except a pool table.

[harleyfatboy]

Jack the lad ..... I will sort the camera out and put pictures of my fat boy , and if your interested my others .....ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[harleyfatboy]

Just flippin through the posts this morning and found this ....Before any females who are on this site think i might be biased im not ....this post had the heading ....Is it the color me or what ... this happened to doubting thomas ....Apparently his car was in two seperate accidents not related , two elderly ladies... REVERSED... into his civic . One apparently reversed 22 yards ....Maybe she needed to get the range ? ....Sarcasm aside i yesterday posted a scenario such as happened above , now say that had been a person ?....They did not see the car ... What chance would a person or child have ...Now these will not go on any young driver stats most people seem to bang on about ...or indeed get recorded as such , just payed out....So as was posted by happyman , we could be graded acording to our abilities....... those incidents were avoidable... so you grade them as competent monday and tuesday they drive into someones car ...systems in place.... rocket on the pad ....aint goin no where man ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[HappyMan]

Originally Posted by harleyfatboy

Just flippin through the posts this morning and found this ....Before any females who are on this site think i might be biased im not ....this post had the heading ....Is it the color me or what ... this happened to doubting thomas ....Apparently his car was in two seperate accidents not related , two elderly ladies... REVERSED... into his civic . One apparently reversed 22 yards ....Maybe she needed to get the range ? ....Sarcasm aside i yesterday posted a scenario such as happened above , now say that had been a person ?....They did not see the car ... What chance would a person or child have ...Now these will not go on any young driver stats most people seem to bang on about ...or indeed get recorded as such , just payed out....So as was posted by happyman , we could be graded acording to our abilities....... those incidents were avoidable... so you grade them as competent monday and tuesday they drive into someones car ...systems in place.... rocket on the pad ....aint goin no where man ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

HFB - that got me really laughing - thanks for that! But you raised a valid point and showed the flaw in my plan - damn.

But can I just say - they were elderly women.

[harleyfatboy]

Happyman ..Were on the same vibe man ....just tryin to keep it real ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by harleyfatboy

Happyman ..Were on the same vibe man ....just tryin to keep it real ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

This is keeping it real - Happy Reading

Young drivers seriously at risk at night - What Car?

SKID - saving kids and inexperienced drivers - campaign

Newly Qualified and Teenage Drivers: SaferMotoring

Accidents Direct - Brake: Young drivers at risk of next-morning drink drive crashes

Inverclyde Council • Young drivers targeted in bid to boost road safety

A small loss of concentration puts us all at risk of having an accident but the facts stare us in the face - YOUNG and especially MALE drivers are involved in more accidents therefore restrictions should be put into place for inexperienced drivers.

[HappyMan]

Originally Posted by Topcat

This is keeping it real - Happy Reading

Young drivers seriously at risk at night - What Car?

SKID - saving kids and inexperienced drivers - campaign

Newly Qualified and Teenage Drivers: SaferMotoring

Accidents Direct - Brake: Young drivers at risk of next-morning drink drive crashes

Inverclyde Council • Young drivers targeted in bid to boost road safety

A small loss of concentration puts us all at risk of having an accident but the facts stare us in the face - YOUNG and especially MALE drivers are involved in more accidents therefore restrictions should be put into place for inexperienced drivers.

Some good reading there, TC. There are also some stark warnings that regardless of ability younger people are more willing to take risks when driving.

Some quotes:

Technical Skills:

Young drivers tend to have good vehicle control skills because they have had driving lessons more recently than older drivers; also their reaction times are faster - however it's more likely to be peer pressure or carelessness that causes accidents in this area. Young drivers should not feel pressured or pushed into driving faster than they are comfortable with, and shouldn't carry out dangerous manoeuvres because they are being 'egged' on by their friends.

Road Awareness:

Young drivers do not have the road knowledge or experience that older drivers do. Many accidents involving younger people happen during bad weather, which suggests they are not able to adapt their driving style appropriately to the conditions. Always take your time to 'read the road' properly, and remember that experience can only come with time. If you're unlucky enough to have an accident, it can dent your confidence and set you back months, even years - not to mention increasing your insurance premium.
Road Attitude:

Young drivers are suddenly propelled into a position of empowerment when they pass their test and they are likely to drive for pleasure and thrills until the novelty wears off. When surveyed, young drivers viewed breaking the speed limit as a less important factor in causing road accidents than older drivers did. Don't get cocky - just because you have a licence doesn't mean that it won't be taken away again if you drive like an idiot.

Interesting reading and there is a point mentions about drink driving too:

Disturbing research on the dangerous habits of young drivers has been released by road safety charity Brake.

Around 45 per cent of young motorists polled by the organisation said that they have driven the morning after a night of heavy drinking - which is well before alcohol has been given the chance to leave the bloodstream completely.

This rate compares poorly with the 26 per cent of over-25s who admit to doing the same - and chimes with the generally higher rate of road accidents and accident claims younger drivers suffer.

Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: "It is shocking that nearly half of young drivers will risk their own lives and endanger others by driving the morning after a heavy night's drinking.

She added: "The government must do more to ensure people are not breaking the law out of ignorance - we need high-profile advertising on this issue and an increase in police powers so they can carry out random breath tests."

According to government statistics, 540 people died and almost 2,000 were seriously injured in car accidents involving drink driving.

What's more, according to Brake of the 90,000 drink driving convictions in the UK in 2006, one fifth were breathalysed by police either on their way to or from work.

It isn't the age that is necessarily against them but 'maturity'.

[harleyfatboy]

Topcat ...I appreciate your views ,..... and yet more stats . As i pointed out in a previous post instead of us pointing a finger at all young drivers... its not really too much of a problem if two miss daisys have a little time off from reality and rearrange the street? ....The Government of this green and sceptered isle have done nothing to curb this , if there are proceedures in place where are the police to administer said ....Because you cant tie a knot without the rope ....Because i tell you man i dont see em ...Maybe you can give a definitive answer you know the sort.. one size fits all ...Because i cant ...Thats what i said in a previous post ..My origional issue was dont tar everyone with the same brush ...eg NEEMSTAR ..Who was informed by another member that he did not have the experience so guilty by association ...And i asked the member how he arrived at that rather obscure rationale ..Apparently age is the deciding factor here ...Lets try these two old ladys again shall we....keepin it real ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by harleyfatboy

My origional issue was dont tar everyone with the same brush ...eg NEEMSTAR ..Who was informed by another member that he did not have the experience so guilty by association ...And i asked the member how he arrived at that rather obscure rationale ..Apparently age is the deciding factor here ...Lets try these two old ladys again shall we....keepin it real ...ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

But Neemstar doesnt have experience - Im not saying he cant drive well or that he is going to cause an accident but statistically it is more likely and driving a high powered car is just increasing the risk.

When a child learns to swim you wouldnt drop them straight into the ocean you would want them to build their confidence and become a stronger swimmer first.

As for the old ladies - I am sure they were not speeding, recovering from the night before or trying to impress their mates, they fall under another high risk group that as I said before should also be monitored.

[NEEMSTAR]

Originally Posted by Topcat

But Neemstar doesnt have experience

please explain how you came to this conclusion about me?

[harleyfatboy]

Topcat......Ok.. lets try reverse engineering ....I line em up you shoot em ........Flipant remark aside...... Instead of stat this and stat that you could go on and on ....ad finiteum ...Have you a solution so we can save the bullets? ....ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[harleyfatboy]

Way to go Neemstar... To many stats ...Sensory overload....Open the windows let some fresh air in....ON A STEEL HORSE I RIDE

[Topcat]

Originally Posted by NEEMSTAR

by the way most performance insurers will ask for a years worth of experience in a "performance" car before they touch you which is what im waiting for.

Erm - I read your own post !!!!!!!!

[FWH]

Originally Posted by Topcat

Erm - I read your own post !!!!!!!!

Sounds like catch 22 to me.

[NEEMSTAR]

Originally Posted by Topcat

Erm - I read your own post !!!!!!!!

Erm .... sorry but that don't answer my question .....

How does that prove that I do not have enough experience?

all i was stating was "performance insurers" want a years worth of driving a performance car, how does that prove that I do not have experience?

All it shows is that they know that the first year in a performance car is probably the most dangerous. it has no bearing whatsoever on MY PERSONAL experience???????????????????????????????????????? ???

[FWH]

Originally Posted by NEEMSTAR

all i was stating was "performance insurers" want a years worth of driving a performance car, how does that prove that I do not have experience?

I get it now

[HappyMan]

I may be wrong here but aren't a lot of these statistics not only talking about driving experience but also life experience too! By that I mean situational experience whether that be on the road, in work or even in a relationship. Our continual experience changes the way we think and act. Hence we sometimes look back at our teenage years and cringe with some of the things we did or said because our experience and maturity has changed our view.

I think one thing to remember is that there are EXCEPTIONS to every rule and it seems as if NEEMSTAR is the exception when it comes to driving hours - which could mean that his actual experience, reaction and situation management is good. We don't know if NEEMSTAR has his head screwed on and can withstand peer pressure or not but he is still here and so I would hazard a guess he may be able to. A lot of the statistics mention the big issue of peer pressure and that is a whole different thing - no matter how good a young driver is the question is: how good is he at withstanding that pressure to put his foot down and looking good for the 'boys'?

Whatever the argument statistics are needed to build a coherent policy both in government and in business and however flawed they may be they do tell a story, which in this discussion is young drivers are more prone to crashing than the oldies!

Yes of course oldies make mistakes and have crashes but that isn't what this thread is discussing - although there seem to be some cracking stories at the moment about older drivers