Gas up - Let's Go! Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 Perhaps drivers (Lorry, Bus, Car, Bike) should have to resit a test every say 10 years, make observation a key part (like it is in the bike test), actually testing driver on what they have seen, whilst driving (Easy to do - just like IAM /ROSPA). It might help to weed out the crap drivers, and make those dependant on a licence take a little more care in keeping it ?? I'd be more than happy to be tested - if I'm no good then I don't want to be the one stood by the side of the road watching a body being taken away, I'd rather know if my standards are slipping. Surely the fact that you can drive until you think your not good enough isn't right ??
Ttaskmaster Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 Perhaps drivers (Lorry, Bus, Car, Bike) should have to resit a test every say 10 years, Some of those already have this requirement in force, actually. Lorry and bus drivers have to complete 35 hours of retraining every 5 years. I imagine the Transport Office webshite will have more details....
Gas up - Let's Go! Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 Some of those already have this requirement in force, actually. Lorry and bus drivers have to complete 35 hours of retraining every 5 years. I imagine the Transport Office webshite will have more details.... Scotch that idea then - clearly it doesn't work....
Gas up - Let's Go! Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 Some of those already have this requirement in force, actually. Lorry and bus drivers have to complete 35 hours of retraining every 5 years. I imagine the Transport Office webshite will have more details.... Actually,,,,,, Is that training or testing ?? can they fail I wonder? We have to undergo lots of training -> can't remember much of most of it, but if my job and pay depended on it I might have.....
Gas up - Let's Go! Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 Some of those already have this requirement in force, actually. Lorry and bus drivers have to complete 35 hours of retraining every 5 years. Oh god, I'm becoming a post whore! Right, this is called Periodic Training, and it's in force now for Bus drivers, although they have until 2013 to do it! and for Trucks it comes into force next Septembet, and they have until 2014 to complete - as long as they have the new categories, and they have until 2013 and 2014 respectivly to do this, so realistically retraining won't begin until 2018/2019. but,, these apear to be soft skills, not re-tests - so it's not really what I was getting at. I think I'd preffer a more draconian approach, take a test before your licence runs out - or you're off the road! If they were to include some form of 3rd party insurance too it might cut down on uninsured drivers a bit too - maybe! I think it would be a winner - Motorcyclist would like it (after all we all chose to undergo further training and a test), the greens would like it (there would be a drop in drivers, therfore cars, therefore less COx output) the government would get some more cash out of drivers, and we could all get the idiots off the road without having to arrest them, prove they're idiots and then rely on some legal system to let them go.
Ttaskmaster Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 I understood it was CPC - Certificate of Professional Competence Clicky Already in force throughout the EU for bus & coach drivers. Hits us in '09 for lorries. Existing licence holders have five years to get one or they lose.
yoda Posted December 22, 2008 Posted December 22, 2008 I made a mistake. It's 2010 that compulsory daylight lighting starts. I find this very worrying as the standard of driving in this country (UK) is now down to third world standards.
Moderator Goff Posted December 23, 2008 Moderator Posted December 23, 2008 I have a bus licence - yeah i used to drive them Does it mean that i will have to also take the competance test and if i dont will i lose my entitlement? I obviously dont drive them anymore, but its good to have it on my licence just in case i need it - i can fall back on it if you get me drift.
Ttaskmaster Posted December 23, 2008 Posted December 23, 2008 Does it mean that i will have to also take the competance test and if i dont will i lose my entitlement? No, you won't lose the entitlement, as far as I understand it. However, you will have to take CPC if you want to resume driving professionally. I believe you can still buy a bus, coach or truck and drive it for your own personal entertainment..... if that's what floats your sandal. As an existing professional bus, coach and lorry driver you are deemed to hold Driver CPC by ‘acquired rights’. However, you must complete your periodic training within 5 years of the introduction of Driver CPC Note: ‘Acquired rights’ (or ‘grandfather rights’) apply to people who already hold a full vocational licence to drive buses, coaches and lorries on the Driver CPC start date. A licence acquired before January 1997 which has a “D1 not for hire or reward” or “101” code does not qualify as ‘acquired rights’, and to drive professionally drivers will need to take all four modules of the new Driver CPC test. If you give up driving professionally, and let your Driver CPC expire, then you must complete 35 hours of periodic training in order to regain your Driver CPC before you can resume driving in the freight, bus and coach industries professionally. The existing ‘Transport Manager’s CPC’ also known as the ‘Operator’s CPC’ is a separate qualification and anyone holding one, who still drives professionally as part of their job, will also need to hold a Driver CPC.
Batifan19 Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 lights everytime 4 me...see and be seen. I also agree with training full stop, never mind "refresher" training. All drivers should have to take a CBT...then they might just have an insight! absolutely amazing how many idiots there are mindlessly driving about. More control on foreign drivers and their licenses too! Phew...im off the soap box now
fosdyke Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 lights everytime 4 me...see and be seen. Phew...im off the soap box now I would agree - they're probably not going to see you anyway - but anything that is going to increase the chances have got to be worth it in my book. I ride that same way as I drive and just assume the pr*t emerging on the left is a complete moron - it's saved my arse more than a few times. As to making all vehicles use lights during the day - I do think that this will be bad news for bikes - they will get lost among the 'clutter' at least at the moment if you see lights during the day 10 to 1 its a bike. Continuous testing? - sounds good in theory but I don't think the additional revenue stream from re-tests would cover the potential VAT receipts from petrol that might be lost, plus if some of the numptys managed to get through the test once (and I know a few people who shouldn't be let loose behing a ton of metal - period!), chances are they'll do it again. Still I suppose if more people were excluded from their cars through re-tests - we'll need more Bus drivers!!!! :D :D
Batifan19 Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 yeah and I also think it would be a good idea to have some sort of device that blocked mobile phone signals whilst driving...so they didnt work at all. Ive had a coupla incidents with sorry to say..women on the phone....yes yes I know its now against the law but the law comtinues to be broken and adds even more danger to the vulnerable biker.
Rich_B Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 Yes yes and yes again lights on every time, it's a no brainer for bikes and all other non vulnerable traffic (insert your own interpritation here! but I think we should leave horses out of it cos they should be in a field not on a road) shouldn't bother until times of reduced visability (fog, night time). As for taking your test every 5 years - bring it on! I think it would pay for itself eventually when the accident rates start dropping better this than speed camera tax. Think gov/eu dudes worried about heavyweight vehicles carreering out of control and wiping whole villages out! Statistically speaking HGV's least likely to be involved in accidents though just memorable when one goes through/over a car/house etc. MObile phones! mobile phones!! don't get me started on mobile phones!!!!!! Every pigging day I see a moron with one stuck to his/her ear eating a sandwich, smoking a fag and applying his lipstick while driving at speed changing the radio staion while looking at it and BANG <-- that was my blood pressure just going off the Richter scale
wild foamy Posted December 30, 2008 Posted December 30, 2008 Mobile phones are the No.1 driver distraction i find, at roundabouts it is worse because they have to "multitask", which is to Change gear, brake, steer and hold their phones at the same time. this often results in them holding the steering wheel with their kness whilst changing gear and then swerving to get around the centre of the roundabout. quite often if i pull up next to someone on the phone at a traffic light or roundabout i will gesture to them to put the phone down, half of them dont take a blind bit of notice of me but atleast i am trying to make our roads safer. we need more enforcement and more severe penalties for offenders, perhaps points or a fine for "driving without due care and attention" Rant over, ride safe
Batifan19 Posted December 31, 2008 Posted December 31, 2008 MObile phones! mobile phones!! don't get me started on mobile phones!!!!!! Every pigging day I see a moron with one stuck to his/her ear eating a sandwich, smoking a fag and applying his lipstick while driving at speed changing the radio staion while looking at it and BANG <-- that was my blood pressure just going off the Richter scale You made me laugh out loud....Sorry for laughing as this is a very serious subject, but im so with ya on this one so know exactly where your coming from lol..
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