m20b25 said:

I don't think that would work very well... Start very young and develop good habits from an early age. Get the feel of the car and learn how it works, its limitations etc. Thats a more doable idea I think...?

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I don't think it's that. It's more of a social 'pressure' to act "cool" and drive like tools!.

if it means less people on the roads i'm all for it

I'm 17, passed my test in june after starting to drive in February.

I paid for the car out of the little inheritance I got from my nan, then my parents bought me my first 6 lessons, I paid for the rest and my insurance through a saturday job and an evening job

I like to think I drive sensibly, especially as one of my friends was killed in early august in a car crash (wasnt driving)

There are complete a'holes my age on the road, although since this friend died I'd say that everyone in my 6th form that can drive has thought about how they drive and have all calmed down a lot on the roads

If I wasn't able to drive, I wouldnt be able to get to college or work, and I wouldn't even be able to apply for most of the uni courses I want to do, so its essential for me

in Canada i got driven home by 2 15 year olds who had just passed, one driving a 2.5 V6 (friends brothers) both drove sensibly, as it seems the majority of the young drivers do over there, i don't know any of stats but i don't think they have as many accidents as our young drivers, over their they're younger AND generally drive bigger cars, so maybe it's not all down to age?

Grainge16 said:

I wouldnt be able to get to college or work, and I wouldn't even be able to apply for most of the uni courses I want to do, so its essential for me

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I doubt that... I didn't need my car until I'd finished college (the college even provided a free bus!).

I only needed a car once I'd finished my professional qualifications and was looking for gainful employment in my chosen career.

x Alex x said:

in Canada i got driven home by 2 15 year olds who had just passed, one driving a 2.5 V6 (friends brothers) both drove sensibly, as it seems the majority of the young drivers do over there, i don't know any of stats but i don't think they have as many accidents as our young drivers, over their they're younger AND generally drive bigger cars, so maybe it's not all down to age?

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No it's down to culture, upbringing and education. Which I don't know if you've noticed are somewhat lacking here for whatever reason!

x Alex x said:

in Canada i got driven home by 2 15 year olds who had just passed, one driving a 2.5 V6 (friends brothers) both drove sensibly, as it seems the majority of the young drivers do over there, i don't know any of stats but i don't think they have as many accidents as our young drivers, over their they're younger AND generally drive bigger cars, so maybe it's not all down to age?

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If I am assuming correctly, Canada and the US have driver training in schools, something that is lacking in Australia, and the UK i believe.

The Scandinavian countries have proved that driver training and education is the way to go: in Norway, if you can't control a slide, you can't get your licence.

Maybe the problem is being approached from the wrong direction. Give young drivers the knowledge and skills, and they will drive safely. I believe though, that the knowledge is just as important as the skill. Without the understanding of things like power oversteer, if you teach the skill, you will just have young drivers out on the roads with enough to make them dangerous.

ChrisUK said:

I doubt that... I didn't need my car until I'd finished college (the college even provided a free bus!).

I only needed a car once I'd finished my professional qualifications and was looking for gainful employment in my chosen career.

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My college is a good half hour drive, and there isn't a direct bus from where I live to there, and my town hasnt got a train station either which is no good

Admittedly I dont need a car for the uni application, but I do need a licence, because you need a B licence to apply, and some even ask for provisional C1 too. Then when i get to Uni itself, I'm gonna need a car to travel to placements which can be up to an hour away

Whether youre 17 or 21, the first time in a car is just the same, although some people just treat it differently. Some by careful driving, some by seeing how fast they can go round corners.

But I suppose education is the only way to stop people being silly on the road, then again, how can you educate some of Englands 'kids' when a high number refuse to be educated and no matter what anyone says, they will see it as tosh and disregard it (its that age when they know best remember).

I think raising the age would help, but only because young people are being forced not to drive, not because they want to drive safely when they do get to drive.

There is no right and wrong, there are f1 drivers who crash their car driving silly, there are 17 year olds. It all depends on the person, their views, their personaility. There is just so much.

Personally,I would hate not to drive now (being 19) as I can drive safely to work and back without the risk of bumping into a bunch of idiots and getting mugged or something lol.

It could be debated all day.

Magic Johnson said:

Thoughts?

I still struggle to believe there are 17 year olds out on the roads.

Things like this:

http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3865365/Teenager-dies-in-car-horror-smash.html

are a very common occurance.

I myself was responsible for terrible, and reckless driving at times. I still can't believe some of the things I did, and I'm sure most of you who passed young think the same as you grow older.

The roads are a very dangerous place and I don't think kids should be allowed on them, for their sake, and for others.

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The fact that you were a self-confessed idiot at 17 doesn't mean that all 17 year olds are idiots behind the wheel.
For all we know you might still be an idiot now, just an older one.
Does that mean that everything should be judged by what you were capable of (or should that be incapable of?).
We want youngsters to take responsbility for their future, work hard, get a job, aspire to better things and help re-build our bankrupt country. Forcing all young people off the road until they are 21 because you couldn't drive at 17 is an idea that annoys me more than I can express in words.

I believe 16 To get a Provisional for a Moped Only - so you can do your CBT

I dont think you should be allowed to Start learning at 17, i think you should wait till your 18
It gets rid of the 17's y/o yobs who suddenly think there the dogs ******** of the world

If there was a Compulsory Course on Advanced braking and Slide control - i'd be the first monkey to give a whirl

I'd love to be able to stop quicker and Know what a sliding situation feels like

Sure i know the thoery, but really its not the same

Plus all these PC/Xbox/Ps3 games DONT HELP

They all think they can take a corner at 60mph like in the game
Infact they cant! Games and real life dont go - i mean look at the experiment that Jeremy Clarkson did with the game that time!

Ziggy

I know some of you won't care about my opinion since I'm currently under 21.. but I think it would be a ridiculous idea.

For a start, insurance prices would definitely go up, even if you were 21 and just passed your test, you'd still have no experience, so insurance companies would charge you a fortune as they do now. Fair enough you'd have more maturity, but the number of unlicensed, uninsured drivers on the road would skyrocket, and they'd definitely cause accidents, sending everybody elses premiums up.

A harder driving test may solve the problem, but the thing is, there's not a lot else that could be done over here to make the roads safer. Kids these days don't want to go to school never mind spend extra time there learning about road safety, and because of the way insurance is, everybody starts off with an underpowered car anyway. I've been/lived in countries where anyone can get insured on any car for peanuts even if you've just passed your test, and the roads were much safer.

Ziggy122 said:

I dont think you should be allowed to Start learning at 17, i think you should wait till your 18

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Great idea, let people start to drive as soon as they're old enough to drink and starting to experience pubs/clubs, this will surely make the roads safer

Dg - i agree with what your saying
insurance wont be better
Nots not just the uninsured/unlicensed people - its the I'm Going to sue you for every penny you've got attitude now

making the test harder is a possible Plus yes - maybe doing a Skid Pan Test - make a car "suddenly" Swerve - the Student has to keep firm control of the car etc
The sweed' IIRC have to have a wet lesson, where they are forced into a slide and control it

But making the test harder is also make more people drive without a licence = More insurance cost

The punishment Needs to be alot harder for uninsured and unlicenced people, its a slap on the rist, some money and a few little sticks
And they just do it again next week as the "must be better" quickly slides and disappears

Ziggy

The problem we have is that whatever you put the minimum age at, someone will always be able to find fault and have a problem with it.

If you did a skid control lesson etc, wouldnt people just think they can skid and keep it under control? Hopefully it would make them reliase they cant control a car like they thought they could, im 19 btw

and again though it all comes back to 'a responsible kid wouldnt want to skid etc'. Its getting everybody to be responsible.

ChrisUK said:

I doubt that... I didn't need my car until I'd finished college (the college even provided a free bus!).

I only needed a car once I'd finished my professional qualifications and was looking for gainful employment in my chosen career.

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well it depends where you are
I live in the capital. the bike blew a tyre so i had to bus it this morning
2 mile walk and 2 buses for a journey that takes 30 minutes on the bike(across the city)
£6.20 in bus fares

custard said:

well it depends where you are
I live in the capital. the bike blew a tyre so i had to bus it this morning
2 mile walk and 2 buses for a journey that takes 30 minutes on the bike(across the city)
£6.20 in bus fares

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Aye, don't ye just love"Embra".....

train to Sheffield 11.90 rtn
bus to Leeds 3.50 rtn
bus to uni 50p
£16.4 per day 2 hours each way
to drive 1 gallon of fuel each way
£11.7 45mins each way

I think 17 is fine. It's the learning system that needs sorting out. Far too many people rush through a few lessons and scrape through their test.

We need to introduce a proper learning scheme which teaches how to drive in all conditions and with limits on powerful vehicles until you have reached 21/gained experience.