http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/m40-crash-three-dead-after-car-towing-caravan-drives-wrong-way-up-busy-motorway/ar-BBOsmFC?ocid=ientp

 

My condolences to the three people who died but so many questions and thoughts come into my head about this.

 

1 How do you manage get into the wrong lane of the motorway?

2 When in the wrong lane why not stop on the hard shoulder if you cant get of the motorway.

3 Why travel at 60mph down the wrong way on the fast lane.

4 At 80 years of age I would like to still be driving but if a medical shows I shouldn't then please get me of the road.

5 Towing a caravan at 80 you need to be a very good driver but my guess is you wont be.

 

I am not agest in any way and I will be 58 this year but I would like to see a second driving test when you reach the age of lets say 70. What do you think?

1-3. Most people, from my experience, had no idea they were going down the wrong side of the motorway. One person who did know didn’t know what to do as there was no hard shoulder on the outside lane and couldn’t get across to lane one as the on coming traffic is flying down there.

 

4. I agree! At 60 you should have to take a medical every other year until you’re 70. Then at 70 it’s every year with a driving test every other year. (I also think every driver before this age should have to have a medical every 5 years and a retest at ten years. That would cut a lot of pollution and road traffic).

1-3. Most people, from my experience, had no idea they were going down the wrong side of the motorway. One person who did know didn’t know what to do as there was no hard shoulder on the outside lane and couldn’t get across to lane one as the on coming traffic is flying down there.

 

4. I agree! At 60 you should have to take a medical every other year until you’re 70. Then at 70 it’s every year with a driving test every other year. (I also think every driver before this age should have to have a medical every 5 years and a retest at ten years. That would cut a lot of pollution and road traffic).

 

We need more technology I think. Maybe in the future after the age of 70 you should have a car that drives itself. Something that is not far fetched.

seen plenty of atrocious drivers in their 20's, 30's, 40's and 50's too.

 

i think every driver should take a retest every 5 years, with a 1 year grace period to retake if you fail.

 

i think this would help reduce the bad habits, reinforce some proper behaviours, and provide the opportunity to learn about new rules and regulations.

 

but, any regulations like this generally penalise the law abiding, and the reckless, feckless arsehats that don't give a toss will continue to drive unlicensed, uninsured, etc.

 

technology should have been put in place a long time ago that forces the use of a valid licence to activate the ignition of a vehicle, which would also act as an immobiliser

http://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/m40-crash-three-dead-after-car-towing-caravan-drives-wrong-way-up-busy-motorway/ar-BBOsmFC?ocid=ientp

 

My condolences to the three people who died but so many questions and thoughts come into my head about this.

 

1 How do you manage get into the wrong lane of the motorway?

2 When in the wrong lane why not stop on the hard shoulder if you cant get of the motorway.

3 Why travel at 60mph down the wrong way on the fast lane.

4 At 80 years of age I would like to still be driving but if a medical shows I shouldn't then please get me of the road.

5 Towing a caravan at 80 you need to be a very good driver but my guess is you wont be.

 

I am not agest in any way and I will be 58 this year but I would like to see a second driving test when you reach the age of lets say 70. What do you think?

 

I would surmise that he did it by going the wrong way round the roundabout and then entering the motorway down the exit ramp

I also think every driver before this age should have to have a medical every 5 years and a retest at ten years. That would cut a lot of pollution and road traffic).

 

I didn't know that someone else shared my view of a periodic retest, not so much a retest though, which will include an eye test, more of a refresher competence test, politics would come into play here because most of the public would be against (fear of failing the test) especially if the government at the time said there was a charge to pay.

 

It makes absolute no sense atm, pass at 17 and drive without anyone bothering you for 50 plus years and you're in charge of a ton and a half lethal weapon, you certainly wouldn't work for a company or have a profession where there wouldn't be a course to go on for that period of time.

1-3. Most people, from my experience, had no idea they were going down the wrong side of the motorway. One person who did know didn’t know what to do as there was no hard shoulder on the outside lane and couldn’t get across to lane one as the on coming traffic is flying down there.

 

4. I agree! At 60 you should have to take a medical every other year until you’re 70. Then at 70 it’s every year with a driving test every other year. (I also think every driver before this age should have to have a medical every 5 years and a retest at ten years. That would cut a lot of pollution and road traffic).

 

Really - that is a worry...!! How could they not know...?

 

Having said that, every day I wonder how some people ever passed their test in the first place. Granted, none of us are perfect drivers; but when driving one should be a driver and nothing else. No "multi-tasking" parenting or whatever - anything else is a distraction and any distraction could cause that next big RTC.

I didn't know that someone else shared my view of a periodic retest, not so much a retest though, which will include an eye test, more of a refresher competence test, politics would come into play here because most of the public would be against (fear of failing the test) especially if the government at the time said there was a charge to pay.

 

It makes absolute no sense atm, pass at 17 and drive without anyone bothering you for 50 plus years and you're in charge of a ton and a half lethal weapon, you certainly wouldn't work for a company or have a profession where there wouldn't be a course to go on for that period of time.

 

My thoughts too...…!

Having seen the terrible driving around the Eastbourne area (especially aimed towards large vehicles and buses) I have come to the conclusion that:

 

1) No one reads the highway code after they pass. The book is revised every few years and changes are added but people dont have a clue whats changed!

2) People feel they are entitled and invincible behind the wheel, bad habits are abound and w**kers rule the roads!

 

I think that there should be a full 100 question (like all professional drivers have to do) theory test to be completed every five years. The photocard is valid for 10 years so you have to do a theory when you get your license, another 5 years later and then another when you have to update your photocard. This would mean people are reading the book at least every 5 years and learning the changes, keeping up to date.

 

The practical should be 2 hours of proper, important driving. No silly "lets follow the sat nav for half of the test time", If you cant go round a roundabout without using indicators or give way when the obstruction is on your side of the road, then what help is a satnav? The practical test should be redone every 10 years to help prevent bad habits. So when your photo card needs reviewing, you need a theory pass certificate, a practical pass certificate and an application form/fee. This would mean people are up to date on the highway code and ideally they would not have too many bad habits.

 

I also think that van drivers such as DPD etc and taxi drivers should have CPC qualifications. Bus and lorry drivers need them, why shouldn't taxis and vans. They are driving for as long if not longer and they don't have to take legal breaks from driving etc. Some cases they work longer than we do. Road rage and/or rude gestures should be fine-able and point-able offence like Germany. If your car is caught on camera being rude then registered owner should be forced to pay a fine and 3 points (like a speeding ticket), no if or buts. Rudeness has no place in society. One last thing is that as I passed after 1997, I am limited to driving nothing larger than a 3.5 ton van. however I am allowed to drive a 21ton double decker with 101 people on it... I have a manual bus license, why cant I drive a manual truck up to 21 ton? its madness.