Saving Lives

How do full licence holders feel about having their driving assessed?

Surprisingly in research carried out by Central Driver Training Limited the majority feel this is a good thing, a range of people were asked, this included learner drivers, company drivers and members of the public, yet more than 80% were in favour, interestingly over 60% felt the group that they did not fall into should be tested first.

So, how does our driving equate with the rest of Europe? The UK have some of the safest roads in the World, and the safest in Europe, so we must be doing something right, so why does such an in depth change seem to be on the horizon.  Pressure from our European counterparts is the first reason, there seems to be no scale for better performing countries, rather a median scale, with the result being a level ground. This would of course be difficult to achieve, with some of the newer EU members needing more time to re-educate, and catch up with the education some countries, particularly the UK, Sweden and the Netherlands, have had in place for years. Croatia, the newest member, has some way to go in this field.

Road safety figures across the EU are at an all time low, fuel and insurance is expensive, traffic has fallen slightly year on year, more people have the work from home option, and some of the bigger companies transport employees in coaches. Yet still we as a country are pressing ahead with the biggest shake up for the driving public since 1935.

The national Standard for Developed Driving Competence, is the first step towards skills maintenance, so just lightly dropped into legislation without too much press attention, yet that would interest the media purchasing public, then of course we have the amendment to the road traffic act which covers compulsory surrender of non photo card licences, with a renewal cost of course.

So why do we have no idea about these potential changes, as once the legislation is in place the fight for change is harder.

Well, from a driver trainer perspective skills and knowledge can only be good for everyone, to expect to raise the standard so that there are no more crashes is, however, unrealistic, as there will always be the human factor.

From a tax payer point of view, why is my money being spent on this, when fatality figures are on the decrease, insurance costs are keeping the traffic volume down, poor employment levels is making fuel unaffordable. I want my money spent on areas that desperately need it, health, education and Policing.

So, just maybe, before the political broom sweeps everything clean for privatisation, can I have a say?