So, learner drivers are going to be allowed to have motorway tuition as part of their training.
It is to begin this summer.
What does the collective think?
Judging by the performances I have seen from many instructors in marked cars on the motorway they haven’t a clue, so God help their pupils 
LGV drivers are already allowed to do , so why shouldnt car and motorcycle do the same.
Personally I think its a ■■■■ good idea , Motorway / higher speed road links initial tuition should be taught as part of the structured process before being allowed to "go it alone", for the [u]Learners[/u] safety and for everyone elses. My Mrs. passed her driving test years ago and refused to even get on a motorway because the volume and speed and driving manner of others pre-stressed her to a point of refusal/denial. So, she was coaxed into a driving course for her benefit and after wondered what all the fuss was about. Now she is confident of using motorways, which also means I dont have to do all the driving :smiley: its a win win situation for me 
Anything is better than nothing.
Makes a lot more sense that just giving them a pass certificate and letting them sort it out themselves, however, how will it work for people who live hours from a motorway?
BTW, is it ‘allowed’ or a must do?
Excellent idea, however I feel that driving lessons (theory anyway)should start in the last year of school, similar to “Driver-Ed” in the States.
If the kids are given even 1 lesson a week covering the theory behind driving and then take the theory test as part of the usual rounds of exams.
there are about 26-30 weeks per year in school so thats enough time to teach how different vehicles manoevure,and their blindspots,
What’s happened to Red driving school? They were all over the tv advertising on all the crap channels a while back, and around Oxford, proving themselves to be a bunch of cowboys: Several times they’d urged their pupils out infront of me only to stop to take ages to ■■■■ up a reverse park. Their instructors hadn’t a clue how to drive…
You would have to travel a few mile to a motorway if you lived in Cornwall …
It is already included with Pass Plus.
Pass Plus is not compulsory.
It Should Be - After passing initial driving test.
Presumably it would be like the HGV test etc where if theres a motorway close by they will use it. I also belive its up to the examiner as to witch route he takes you on some will include motoways others won’t
At the moment anyone can teach a learner to drive as long as they’re not being paid, so will anyone be allowed to take learners onto motorways ?
I think there should be a separate exam for motorway driving and it should only be allowed with professional instructors who themselves should have to pass a test before instructing learners on motorway driving.
I’ve mentioned before that I live on a test route so get a lot of learners in the area and the thought of some of the instructors taking learners onto a busy motorway doesn’t bear thinking about 
My niece has been driving for over 10 years and has NEVER been on a motorway, even when she goes on hols she uses A roads, said she is scared to use the motorway, she wouldn’t even let me show her how to use them - shame really because I have some lovely manoeuvres I would have liked to show her. 
I am in favour of this. The current situation where some clueless 17 year old fresh from the test centre can jump straight on a busy motorway is crazy.
I just hope that it is compulsory for the motorway training to be carried out with a trained instructor in a dual controlled car, that way at least we can rest assured that (hopefully) some common sense is being used and learners are being taken onto the motorway when they are ready and at sensible times. The worst possible case scenario is having ‘know it all’ parents, who don’t know how to drive on a motorway properly themselves, taking their little prodigies out onto the motorway before they are ready.
I think that learners should be taught to drive first not taught to pass a test .
All the driving schools know the test routes and take the learners over and over the test routes untill the learners know the route like the back of their hands and make the ability of the learners to drive on other roads when they have passed the test very strange and frightening .
How many driving schools show pupils how to check the oil , tyres screenwash etc , very few I think .
I think this is the cause of many accidents on the roads these days .
Rant over x
Hiya Quirkyjohn.
ALL driving schools have to teach car learners about :
Screenwash top up
Oil Level Check and top up
Brake Fluid Level Check
Engine Coolant level check and top up
Tyre Condition check and law
Tyre Pressure check and top up
Lights checks
Moving Brake Test
Handbrake check
Horn check
Fog Light check
Main Beam/Dipped Headlight check
Windscreen demisters
Head Restraint check
Test routes arent published anymore, but most test centres have about 16 different routes to be used and its not economical to teach every learner every route at every time of day.
Also, the examiners can vary off route if they wish.
Also, dont forget the 10 minute independant driving section.
So I dont think that is the cause of accidents on the road.
The main cause is that 60% (approx.) of the drivers on the road are amateurs for whom driving is just something that has to be done as quickly as possible so they can get on and do what they are driving to (like picking little jonny up from school in case he has to wait in the classroom for 2 extra minutes, bless him).
Too many people driving vehicles are totaly rubbish at moving a 1.5 ton of metal through spaces at a speed that allows their tiny brains to react in time to other people who are totally rubbish at driving a 1.5 ton of metal at a speed . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Car drivers should be made to re-take a practical and theory test every 5 years to keep their licences.
Just think of all the money that driving Instructors and the DSA would make. It would kick start the economy in weeks.
Oh no it wouldnt 'cos nobody would be able to afford the lessons they would need after they failed the test. 
I’ve always thought that a learner in any class of vehicle should complete some sort of CBT before being allowed on the highway at all. I know we’ve all started out but I’d have thought getting some basic concept o vehicle size & controls before adding other road users into the mix would be beneficial to all.
There is a place in Romford where there is a dummy road network for learners, I think you can take your own car and start teaching your son / daughter from about 15 onwards. Seems like a good idea to me.
Hiya 8wheel,
Thats a cracking idea. I was thinking of starting up something like that a year ago, but when I costed out the price of brownfield land and then asked myself “why would an ADI pay me £5 per hour out of his/her £20 less petrol insurance tyres maintenance when he can use B&Q and tescos car parks for free?”.
So I didnt take it any further.
So can you tell me how well used is the place and how much do they charge for how long?
is it making a good living for the owner.
I remember that there was a place exactly like that in the Dingle, Liverpool during the late 50’s and early 60’s.
It had them new fangled Zebra crossings and pretend junctions and it was like a little circuit for the learners to drive on.
Like somebody else mentioned who is going to teach the driving instructors cause most of them haven’t a clue and some are plain dangerous. Like the idiot from Red driving school who pulled in front of me in the middle lane of the M1 and slammed the brakes on when he realised he couldn’t pull into lane 1 because of the traffic.
LandyLad:
Hiya 8wheel,Thats a cracking idea. I was thinking of starting up something like that a year ago, but when I costed out the price of brownfield land and then asked myself “why would an ADI pay me £5 per hour out of his/her £20 less petrol insurance tyres maintenance when he can use B&Q and tescos car parks for free?”.
So I didnt take it any further.
So can you tell me how well used is the place and how much do they charge for how long?
is it making a good living for the owner.
I remember that there was a place exactly like that in the Dingle, Liverpool during the late 50’s and early 60’s.
It had them new fangled Zebra crossings and pretend junctions and it was like a little circuit for the learners to drive on.
The place is called Cardrome I’ve only ever been past it but always thought it was a good idea. I’d take my 12 year old there but I’m not letting him loose in my car and my missus wouldn’t hand over her Mini either. Looking at their website it seems like it is mainly for their use to teach basics beor heading on the road but public sessions are £15. Quite reasonable.
For my sins, and the amount of flak I’m going to get, I’m an Approved Driving Instructor and have some information to share with you all about my style of teaching.
I take pupils on fast “A” roads to get them to grasp speed and overtaking, while on “L” plates.
I teach them to respect trucks and motorcycles, 'cos I drive them both frequently.
Pass Plus is not compulsory and is being phased out.
I insist on a motorway lesson just after they’ve passed.
(The route is Stevenage-A1M-A404 to Watford-M25-Terminal 1 and 3 at Thiefrow-stop for a short break-then back-M25-A1M and home. Takes three hours.)
I have never cancelled a lesson for bad weather, snow or ice.
Emergency stop most lessons, wet roads included.
My longest lesson was five hours, Stevenage to West Wales.
So, the sooner I can take learners onto motorways the better, gives me more to teach, ergo, more money.
Cheers
Paul
PS If you think trucking is poorly paid, try being a full time ADI…
i passed my driving test 3yr’s ago next september, as part of my lesson’s i asked my instructor to try to get me used to fast road’s i.e. duel’s to help me get used to motorway’s. just to make it clear, i live in lincolnshire, where there is not a single mile of motorway in the county, and very few mile’s of duel’s, where i am the closest duel is the a17 at sleaford.
i asked my instructor about this he agreed, and surgested that i take a weekday off from work, and he’d sort somthing out. couple of week’s later, we left my house, went to boston, filled up his little fiesta and headed down the a17. got to sleaford after doing the sleaford bybass a couple of times, came off at the bone mill junction, headed back to kirby la thorpe, came back off there and headed back to holdingham,got back on the 17 and headed up to newark. and went south, it certianly put speed in to perspective, yeah the limit is 70 for car’s and lower for other vehicles, and some times you end up doing that speed, you also have to use the look over the right sholder a little bit more to check the blind spot before you pull out.
when i passed my test, if the limit was 60 i did 60. these day’s i’ll plod along a 50-55 on singles, 60ish on duel’s and on motorway’s. these day’s you can’t rush on the road’s if you do you just get stressed.
oh i did do my pass plus, did a17, a1 nb, m18 sb/eb, m1 sb and then back along the 52 to grantham. and yeah i was knackered after all that driving, but i did enjoy it.