the nodding donkey:
With the constant increase in traffic, which is by all accounts unsustainable, is there a case to be made for a “one out, one in” system, where a new driving licence can only be issued when an existing licence holder hands his/hers back?
Discuss…
For every one issued there are probably more people with licences who die every day
Sorted
DVLA issue around 800k “first application” provisionals every year. The UK death rate is rather less than that (around 600k per year) - and not all of them hold licences.
How many hold a licence in the UK but do not drive in the UK, myself and my wife have a UK licence but live in Australia so that is 2 obsolete licence’s but are still valid on the UK roads.
By the same token, how many drive in the UK but do not hold a UK licence? Not that it makes a huge amount of difference either way as I suspect both figures remain fairly constant year on year.
dieseldog999:
they could always make the driving test on a par with several european countries where its exceedingly hard to pass due to the level of competency required…not a bad thing,or,close the borders,and sling out anything illegal till the numbers tally up again,
Are you saying illegals can get a legitimate licence here while still illegal or is that one of your wind ups?
Saw an article in some paper about how many Londoners ha e a licence but have never used it. Was quite a high percentage vs the rest of the country, so that would skew the system.
Plus the further north you are, the less people. So do you stop people in the Highlands of Scotland getting a licence just because someone in London has passed their test.
As for running out of space, again it might be in London but not in the rest of the country. Go up the M6 and it starts getting remarkably quiet by the time you hit ■■■■■■■■ Just too many people in the SE.
Trouble with HGV licences is there are too many of them, and they are handing them out to guys with little or no ability.
As said, a tougher criteria is needed, longer more intense courses, including practical stuff like load security, courteous driving, definitely bridge awareness courses, and a tougher test…then followed by a 12 month to 2 yr probationary period where if you don’t cut it you get re tested anytime within that period.
Something along those lines at least, if only to get rid of the ‘Car driver with a Class 1’ types,.and the ‘Never be a trucker as long as they have an arse hole’’ types.
In other words a complete raising of standard, then a licence will be looked upon by all as a hard earned item and a privilege to hold.
robroy:
Trouble with HGV licences is there are too many of them, and they are handing them out to guys with little or no ability.
As said, a tougher criteria is needed, longer more intense courses, including practical stuff like load security, courteous driving, definitely bridge awareness courses, and a tougher test…then followed by a 12 month to 2 yr probationary period where if you don’t cut it you get re tested anytime within that period.
Something along those lines at least, if only to get rid of the ‘Car driver with a Class 1’ types,.and the ‘Never be a trucker as long as they have an arse hole’’ types.
In other words a complete raising of standard, then a licence will be looked upon by all as a hard earned item and a privilege to hold.
Never happen they would have to call it a career if it did, as it is it is a free for all and anyone
Ive Said this before but merely counting up the numbers of current licence holders and simply equating that to the number of lorry drivers available is misleading. There are plenty of licence holders who have never driven a HGV since their test and have no intention of driving one in the future, think armed forces for example.
There are also the "hobby " holders such as those who do the test simply to drive the horse box to the local gymkhana etc. A far more accurate way to gauge potentially how many lorry drivers we have would be instead to count current DCPC holders.
