New Bike Test

[kathb]

Hi,

I just found this and found it rather interesting reading. We already knew there were problems inherent in the new test, so it's finally reached the news.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8067212.stm

Kath

[MonstaChicky]

I've heard so many bad things about it!!! A friend of mine is taking his in June...just another hair-brained half-baked idea!!!

[nambduke]

.......looking at the swerve, even in wet weather, it really isn't a difficult thing to do. I can see the danger if a novice brakes hard whilst doing the swerve, but who teaches that? Obviously some training organisations do!! I certainly didn't in my 15yrs as a RAC/ACU Instructor/Examiner/CBT Examiner. Think there should be latitude - increase in overall length of stopping distance in the wet - but the principle look sound to me.

What does everyone else think?

Regards,
Mark

[fatbloke]

.

What does everyone else think?

Regards,
Mark

I think I'm glad I passed my test a long time ago!

[Lucati]

Looks fairly straight forward to me, from all the fuss I Imagined some kind of 90 degree 'handbrake turn' scenario! I honestly don't think it hurts to make it harder to pass your test, driving into and out of london you see so many people that really could have done with a bit more tuition before being let loose on the roads!

[Mrs Soup]

"The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) said the test was needed to help reduce deaths of motorcyclists on the roads. "

So what changes tare they making to the other types of test to help reduce the deaths of all other road users.........

Same as ever I guess - Nothing at all - but then we all know that motorcycles are dangerous and cars are perfrectly safe

[SazzaG]

Having seen it demonstrated on the news this morning, I agree that it doesn't seem as drastic as people have made out.

However, are they introducing something similar for cars?

[gremlin]

Still think car drivers should be given more awareness training rather than putting all the onus on bikers. After all the majority of car/bike crashes are due to the car being unaware and pulling out or changing direction with no thought to the biker. Glad I got my test done.

[scrapps]

I have just watched the swerve test vid and it is not that hard. if you can not swerve around that you would prob be a danger on the road ? imho :eek:

[STIVH]

call me sceptical but this is all about getting bikes off the road and anything else small and two wheeled thats got some form of engine.

the test is a hazard avoidance test

5 years down the line when you visit the court with your no win no fee lawyer after being T-boned the big Q will be have you done the hazard avoidance test - NO? sorry mate I won't pay you!

then another 2 or 3 years later the figures will show that all those bikers getting knocked off as a percentage value never did the test.....etc etc.

15 years down the line we will all be obselete and our bikes will at local fairs and shows like steam engines are now.

Rant over but still a little bit worried.

[Pedro]

Saw the test on the BBC site this morning and can't see the problem. Frankly, given the sh*te state of the roads, the ability to swerve around a hazard is a positive benefit. As Nambduke has said, braking while doing this would be a distinct hazard particularly on a wet surface so perhaps the training organisations need to take a look at the procedures and perhaps a little leeway for wet surfaces may be sensible.

[Pomp1]

doesn't look that hard, as other have said, if you can't do it you'll be a danger on the road. The problem is with the 31 MPH limit so you can't really practice. The limit should be lowered(1 mph can't make that much difference) and everything will be just fine.

[jerry]

cars should have a 9'' spike tipped with Curari in the steering wheel centre.

[LouSCannon]

I'm trying, I really am trying not to get so worked up at present day life... but someone just HAD to post about it, was listening about this on the radio all day yesterday mumbling under my breath instead of shouting at the reporter like I normally do...

Now I'm all for raising both driving and riding standards, but this swerve addition is just an attempt at a quick fix. Rather then changing the teaching practices and requiring a high standard of instructor to educate new riders they've thought they can throw in a quick new exercise... once again it's the nature of a quick fix or knee jerk reaction rather then taking sensible well thought out action.

As everyone who rides a bike realises it's not just the riders, if anything the standard of car driving in this country has continued to decline and addressing THAT issue would reduce casualties on the road... yet no, lets use speed cameras, tax and address the minority rather the majority like we do with most every big issue.

*sigh* See, now I've ranted again.

[BluprintZ]

cars should have a 9'' spike tipped with Curari in the steering wheel centre.

Ha, nice one Jerry, my mate came up with that suggestion years ago, although i doubt it would catch on really, health`n safety and all that!
I think as you get older, you start to realise how young some of the car drivers are.
I suppose you could class me as out in the sticks, between Caernarfon and Bangor, even so the amount of kids in the usual Saxo's, Clio's etc, who in my opinion look more like twelve year olds, seems to be getting more each year.
Seeing as they are quite young, it's obvious that they haven't been driving for very long, so you would expect they would still have the driving lessons and test, still in their minds?
There's been an alarming amount of fatal accidents across the country involving cars full of youngsters, who's drivers certainly haven't had the experience to get out of whatever situation they find themselves in, or the experience not to get into that situation in the first place.
This isn't only down to the young drivers, some older ones can also be accused of having the "i've passed my test, now i can drive how i please" attitude.
Every so often, i have this little game where i'll take notice of how car drivers do certain things, the other day it was "The indicator game"!
I was out with two mates last Sunday on a 70-odd mile ride, i mentally counted 23 cars that didn't indicate when overtaking on the dual carriageway, or turning off a major road into a side street, with five cars braking and dithering about before turning down the street.
Roundabouts seem to be the worse, with very few drivers indicating which turning off the roundabout they were taking, that one really pi$$es me off, it's nothing short of ignorant, on a few occasions i've pulled up alongside the car and informed the driver that their indicators aren't working, the worse offenders seem to be female drivers, sorry!
So, why are the powers that be, fannying around with the bike test, implementing silly "extras", that will likely be faded out when enough people have hurt themselves doing manoeuvres that Brussels feel we need to add to a previously ok test, when in reality it's the car test that needs amending.
ALL prospective learner car drivers should have a compulsory year on a bike, before being allowed to take driving lessons, then they will see what we have to put up with.

G : )