LOL, all you guys with your 16, 17 and 18 years old for ur licenses.
In Canada I got my learners at 14 and I can get my license at 16. At 18 I am a full licensed driver.
The test was BULL****.. I studied for it for about 1 month, just causally, nothing hardcore. I took the test and the average questions was. What is the name of a red octagon with letters on it...There was nothing about street lights or other drivers.
I agree with Ash. I have just had 20 hours worth of driving lessons and my instructor thinks I'm well away and won't need anymore lessons. That cost me just under £400...I would hate to have to fork out for a whole years worth of lessons.
Insurance prices are a joke as are the price of lessons really...
If they want us to wait a year, then the cost of other stuff has to be reduced to compensate and with our Government having bigger issues, they won't do it. Also, why should a driver who has had his/her licence 20 years, pay less for insurance or fuel just because the driving age went up. It makes no sense and there will be too many complications that they won't be able to sort that will help it take longer.
I dont really see the point... A better way of enforcing these people who at the age or 17 take their test and then drive like nutjobs after they get a licence, would be to double the fines, and points a driver gets on his licence untill he has held the licence for 5 years or so. Then the chances are the nutjobs will have had their licences revoked because of speeding.
Imho 18 is way too young to take serious responsibilities. I would like that it requires age of 20 to buy tobacco- and alcohol products, and to have a driving license. Seen too many 18-19 years old who ruins their life either with constant drinking (Hey, I am an adult. I can go to a bar every day!!) or by driving (Hey, I am an adult. I know how to drive a car. And I want to drive it fast, just like in TV/games).
How many 18-19 years old truly needs a car in Finland? We have busses and railway...
You know, there is huge variance on the bus and railway availability if you live in northern Finland instead of south. Where I live the base fee for a short bus trip is around 2.7€ (I think, haven't used buses in years) and goes up from there for longer trips. Railways is a good option but buses suck *** imho . And railways are only available for longer trips (+100km) in most parts of Finland, no metros in 90% of Finland.
In Finland it is possible to do all the studying before you are 18 but for all the tests and driving part you need to be 18 iirc. Basically the I think the driving lessons and the whole driving school part was quite good although the biggest thing I've learned since is to not trust anyone when driving. Always need to be prepared to expect people not seeing you is probably the best advice I've learned.
To be honest, what difference does one year make? If your likely to be a reckless driver at 17, then your probrably just as likely to be at 18. I really think this whole 'scheme' is just the Government trying to reassure people that they're doing something to prevent all the young deaths on the roads, but in reality it won't do anything to reduce the amount of road deaths, but that doesn't matter, a little bit of skewing statistics and the govt can tell us all that the road deaths have decreased and that the 'scheme' has worked.
It does seem that young people are often used as a skapegote for all the Uk's problems, theres a kind of hysteria going on where everyone seems to beleive that youths are the cause of all crime, whilst middle aged paedophiles get away because the records on them have been 'lost'.
Don't forget that anyone is capable of crashing a car and/or driving inrresponsibly, regardless of age.
I was really safe when I first past my test, looking back. Then a few months later I got a bit larey in a personal quest to get to work under my personal best. Then I nearly died and was safe for a bit, then I got my confidence back and was a danger to you all and then I nearly died again, and now my sister asks how I can win on the race track yet drive like an old lady on the roads... The answer to which relates to sand traps and no oncomming traffic!
I dont really think they need to move the age to 18 i just think the test needs to be made more "real". Look at the driving test, Does it do night driving? No. Does it do motorway driving? No. They are commen crash times and yet they arnt even touched.
In new zealand we can get our "Learner" licence at age 15. Then after 6 months we can go for a restricted licence and 18 months after that you can get your full.
And a full licence has no restrictions. What does this mean? You get a shit load of young kids in fast cars tearing up the street. Any increase in driving age is a good one only those who fall victim to it dont think so.
Well, I doubt you'll be able to afford a car anyway while being at Uni, so it's probarly for the best.
As for the age, it's no real blow is it? I know alot of people who have been taking lessons since they were just 17 and have been for over a year, most people take quite a few months to get ready for their practical anyway.
I know theres some who do pass quite early but a year ago when I started my instructor told me about how the goverment are saying you need atleast 100 (or 200 I can't remember) hours of professional training before you can even book your test, so that's going to take a year atleast....
It's true, I couldn't have had a car though Uni without having a job, and I'm glad I didn't work though Uni. In fact I'm still saving for my first car now, and I reckon it could take two more paychecks, which will put it after my 23rd birthday. I've only driven once since I passed my test 5 years ago. I think I'll have to book a few refresher lessons else I'm gonna risk crashing somebody elses car when I go car hunting.
Have they not thought of all the drink driving that will go on if the age is changed to 18. People need a year of near misses, or general idiotic driving to realise that drink driving is definitely out of the question.
Also, there seems to be a lot of people here saying that even at 18 people are still not responsible. Of course that does not account for everyone. I know 30 year olds that are not responsible.
There are other things to consider than just "responsibility" when it comes to driving age. At 18, kids go to college, and having a car can be a BIG help. Especially the second year, when they want to live off campus. The fact of the matter is that once you hit 18, a car starts to become a big part of life, and a very valuable and necessary tool. Denying people that privilege for another few years could potentially cause many more problems than it would solve!
Another reason my car would be a great help to me at 17, would be getting to college too. The college im going to goto is 25 miles away from my house. For a month or two, i will be getting a lift with a mate who is in his second year at college, then when i hit 17, i would past my test and drive my car up there, so if this did get changed to 18, it would be a big problem for me.
yes but the benefits are much higher i hope that they make the testing harder as well,
go to Australia you wont get your license till you are close 20 some people who fail make 21 so consider your self lucky thats its 18 and i hope that if and when you get your license you drive sensible,
i owned a 1972 mini that i spent countless hours doing up and i admit im not the safest driver on the road ive had my fair share of races and speeding tickets.
but that car i spent all the money and time on well was smashed up by a joyrider who had stolen a car and was racing me along a road when i saw the turn off for my street and pulled to the side and started to slow down and he crashed into the rear of me. then tore off into the distance and my mini well crushed like a tin can.
so since you spent so long and shit on your car well just treat it good as its not fun to loose a car you spent long hours fiddling with
At the end of the day all you people who wont be affected by this (ie those who ALREADY have a license and a nice car) dont care, but people who this will actually affect DO.
And as for cash, I think i've had a cunning scheme to sort that out :P
Of course those who this is affecting wants that it isn't. They are only interested of getting that license as soon as possible. Their own arse is on fire.
Those who won't be affected sees the whole picture much more better, and thus can valuate the change more accurately. For example, minors aren't suitable to drive a car because of their lack of concentration and need to be "seen". And ya, now someone says "I am not like other minors. I am much more mature!". Well, tough luck! Should they allow you to drive and the others not? How do they valuate who can drive and who can't? I can already see the torches... And what if they lower the age limit so those "I am mature" people can get a license? That would mean that all of those who behaves like a minor can get a license too. And that is what the situation is right now.
In Finland people won't complain of "high" age to get a driving license (18 years). On the contrary, people are talking about increasing the age limit... Including me.
About 10 years ago everyone who were 15 years was allowed to drive a moped (Without any kind of license, without any kind of driving school). They didn't even knew what street signs meaned (Especially that "insignificant" small red-and-yellow triangle [It means that the others have right of way]), and thus caused lots of accidents.
Luckily, it changed, and now it requires some kind of driving license and tests.
So because i'm 17 in 4 months, and have an interest in cars my opinion doesn't count?
Those who can vote (ie those who the government care about) are NOT affected by this, and just read "young driver kills 4 after going to fast" headlines. The problem is not the age of the driver (although yes, this is an issue), but the lack of experience - the driver may have misjudged a corner speed and hit something slippery (ie wet mud which on certain shades of road is hard to see). At the end of the day raising the driving age to 25 WOULD help with accidents, but it screws people like me over...
The nearest town is 7 miles away, and has very few jobs (for someone like me), so I'd have to get to the nearest town and THEN pay for a train-ride to the next nearest "proper" town (30-40 minutes away). My School is 7 miles away and I have to pay £112 a term (£336 a year) for the School bus so I can get to School and get some qualifications (School bus is free for those doing GCSE's, but not for 6th Formers). My Girlfriend lives 6 miles away, and so the only way i'd get there is either leech of my parents to get me there or cycle (which is a pain in the ass).
Luckily for me I have my bike (which isn't actually working atm but i disgress), but around here most people in my year (they are now turning 17) are applying to get their license so that they can actually earn some proper money and have a life...)
Public transport is useless - there is ONE bus a DAY where I live (a village of over 1,000 people...), the nearest station is 7 miles away etc.
And before someone pulls the "you haven't seen what young driver should cause" card, yes I have - recently had an hour long presentation which mainly consisted of seeing people who thought they could drive end up getting it wrong and seeing pictures of what they ended up looking like (including a lovely picture of a biker who got hit by a car (in an accident that probably wasn't his fault) and got sliced in almost 2 slices) - the main recurring point pushed on us was "young driver tries to show off and drives too fast". The TRUTH was that people couldn't control the car when things went wrong - ie a guy came off a sliproad from a motorway onto a roundabout and just understeered into a tree. The only way he could of done that is if he kept his foot down going round the bend hoping this would give him more grip.
Most drivers wouldn't know how to cure oversteer ("steer into the skid" is a phrase most people know, but could never apply) or understeer whether new or old, however a younger, less experienced driver is more likely to get in a situation like this rather than an older driver. Perhaps compulsory skid-training would be a good idea?
Of course sometimes you'll always get the retards that jump over a humpback bridge (30 MPH limit) at 100 mph and then manage to flip their car and kill themselves.
Either way thanks to this it now looks like either i wait 'till after Uni for a car or put my business thingy in overdrive and see if I can double (if not quadrouple) my profits for a car.
If this doesn't make much sense i'm sorry. I got woken up at 4 AM last night because my girlfriend had a bad dream involving a pineapple and didn't get any sleep after that
. And railways are only available for longer trips (+100km) in most parts of Finland, no metros in 90% of Finland.
