Beware! Learner drivers to be allowed on the motorway: Changes introduced to stop new motorists being scared of using the highways
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You need to build up speed quite quickly when you are joining the motorway. Learner drivers will be allowed on motorways for the first time from this week.
Officials believe allowing learners on to motorways will improve the awareness and experience of new drivers and therefore boost safety on Britain's roads. Learner drivers are finally going to be allowed to have lessons on motorways after a government consultation, which itself followed years of pressure from road safety groups over what they argued was a long-running safety omission.
Learners are now allowed on motorways - Carly Brookfield, chief executive of the Driving Instructors Association, says rural roads can carry more risk.
Last summer saw would become available for learner drivers, and, from next week, learner drivers in England, Scotland, and Wales are allowed onto the motorway, 60 years after the first UK motorway opened. The new rule is part of a broader transformation in UK motoring including the changes made to the driving test in December 2017, the new MOT, and a tax hike on newly registered diesel cars. With many people embracing the new law for learner drivers, will everybody be so pleased? Figures from the Department for Transport show that from road traffic incidents. Those under the age of 25 are up to seven times more likely to get serious or fatal injuries from a crash than drivers aged over 25. Despite motorway crashes only making up 4% of all road crashes and 5% of all fatalities, collisions on the motorway are often more serious due to high speeds. This is often done by taking the Pass Plus training, which covers motorway driving as one of its six modules. At present, only around 3% of new drivers take this extra training, even though it can reduce your insurance with some companies. Until the law changes on June 4th, it will still be illegal for learners drivers to use motorways. Not everyone has been as supportive of the changes, including former Director of Campaigns Jason Wakeford from road safety charity, Brake. Without pedestrians or cyclists, statistics show motorways are still the safest roads on which to drive. With so many motorists concerned with learner drivers on the motorway, how can we stay safe? First things first, be patient with them. As you should with any vehicle, keep a safe distance from the learner driver and increase the gap on wet, icy, or foggy roads. While it can be frustrating being behind a learner driver, remember you were once that driver whom everyone was getting annoyed at and pull back a bit. I agree that they should be taught to join at a decent speed. So many drivers approach at 40 or 50 mph, making it hard to safely get on the motorway. I would say that at least 50% of motorists need re-training on motorway discipline. We should follow the German practice. Class room training before a theory test, driving practice on non motorway roads and a test and finally driving practice on motorways followed by the final test. That basically rendered the 406 a single carriageway. We have to stamp out this attitude that the nearside lane has the plague. I dread breaking down on a motorway these days. Problem I find on busy motorways is getting boxed OUT, not in. The other problem I find is the nearside lane is full of HGVs so close they obscure the signs and I do not see my junction until it is too late. What will happen when we get HGVs in convoy 5 metres apart as in Germany? Knowing that motorway driving would be her most common route. Having been an instructor for 40 years. There is little an instructor can do to avoid an accident without the use of an accelerator which on motorways is sometimes necessary. Learners can be unpredictable and do cause other drivers to be impatient. Mix that with foreign lorry drivers as an example, who have little idea how to use our motorways and it could lead to danger and mayhem. Remember there are many drivers … Read more » I live in the countryside and the number of people who cannot reverse even a short way to a passing space is more than it should be. One person I came across recently continually veered off to the side into the bank which was at the start of the passing space. Leaners on motorways seems a bit of a big step. We could avoid this situation by not allowing newly qualified drivers on motorways. I do wonder if this has been thought out properly. I have to say the problem is not so much with learners on motorways but a problem with how he UK runs it driver training. They must introduce a requirement for passing a theory test and eye test before the issue of a provisional licence, thereby proving that you know the rules and your eye sight is good enough before allowing little … Read more » I just hope that the experience gained is not to the short term detriment of the rest of us. This type of driving should be carried out as a short course with question and answers to increase awareness before rather than immersion at the deep end. That experience will provide much needed exposure to new and varied traffic situation and therefore increases skills and confidence whilst reducing risk of having a crash. In what way can that be seen as expensive?? I was lucky enough to learn in an area that allowed easy access to the old A74 dual carriageway, so plenty of opportunity to get experience of higher speeds, lane discipline, passing trucks etc. I was also lucky enough to be having supplemental lessons with my mum at the time, a cautious driver who, unlike my dad, would allow you plenty of freedom, but advise when it was necessary so I also gained plenty of experience of things like night driving, bad weather, country roads etc. I also spent time learning for my bike test, and that in particular does … Read more » I believe the pass plus should be made compulsary and new drivers should only be allowed on the motorways without supervision after taking the pass plus, my daughter took it and saved nearly £400 off her insurance so there is plenty of incentive to do it. As a lorry driver I find people who drive to slow on the motorways to be the most dangerous as when you pull out to overtake them the vehicle behind does not see them till the last minute. And about time too, learner drivers should as part of their education be taken on a Motorway with their instructor, what a nonsense that you pass your test and are free to join a motorway having never driven on one! It would give the pupil the opportunity to understand and learn how to join a Motorway correctly, choose the correct lane and appropriate speed, not just put an indicator on and hope for the best! I think that Pass Plus is essential. I am terrified of her driving on motorways, etc without proper tuition. I was on the A12 recently and a very young driver joined from a slip road at speed expecting me to move over when there was nowhere for me to go. A disaster was narrowly avoided. As for indicating, indicators seem to be an optional extra now, and when people do use them it is often incorrectly so I … Read more » You can blame the likes of RoSPA and the like for the lack of indicting. We have RoSPA course at one of my previous places of employment. This results from a combination of a lack of training and that the police seem to concentrate solely on speed as a misdemeanour, while turning a blind eye to all the other offences. It would be interesting to know how many people have actually been prosecuted … Read more » Just think of the amount of money which could be made from prosecuting middle lane hoggers, and those who stay in the outside lane of a dual carriageway because they need to turn at the next roundabout — a mile or more from where they are, with nothing in the inside lane! I saw this several times a day whilst on my way to work, prior to my retirement. Not sure where I stand on this new idea. In January this year, I had a two-hour motorway driving lesson with my instructor, 2 months after passing my test third time. It helped my confidence and I would highly recommend it for all who have recently passed or are a bit more cautious. This change will definitely help to improve confidence for drivers. Not before time for learners to be allowed on motorways! I learned to drive in the early seventies, my dad took me along the then A85 between Perth and Dundee which was a dual carriageway with no grade separated junctions and lots of crossovers, far more dangerous than motorways and perfectly legal! I thought this was very good experience and no reason why learners should not get onto motorways after some basic training. It is mandatory in some European countries to have experienced both motorway and night driving prior to taking the driving test, with minimum hours for each type of driving. The standard of motorway driving is generally much better than the UK with far better lane discipline. This must be due to receiving mandatory instruction on motorways prior to being tested! Regarding the change in law to allow Learner Drivers on the motorways; if they are taught correctly it may not be a bad thing. Unfortunately at present we have a multitude of experienced drivers who do not adhere to the current laws on driving on the motorways i. On top of this comes lights in bad visibility etc. Motorways are actually statistically safer than driving in cities or towns and I hope such training which IMHO should be compulsory will help to improve overall road safety. Any bright ideas — oh wise people in Government — where we are going to carry out this new requirement? The driving schools will be absolutely delighted, a one hour lesson has just been turned into 3 or maybe 4. Anything that wil make better drivers, motorway or otherwise, is to be commended Introduce the type of test that advanced drivers have to pass. This would weed out the people who think that driving is a God given right, it is not,I have driven just about anything that has wheels or tracks. A cab test was absolute, no control, no driving. So learner drivers on the motorway, well not until after the test then continuation to gain a full licence. Can you imagine Joe Bloggs down the road teaching his offspring to drive,utter madness and dangerous. There are enough idiots … Read more » When my kids passed their driving test the first thing I did was take them onto a motorway. First of all demonstrating the subtleties of entering, exiting, and lane discipline. Also getting them to expect other drivers not to know how to do these things. Finally getting them to show me it had sunk in. I then had less worries when they went on journeys. I passed my driving test in 1968 in Holland — so 50 years ago. It was compulsory that you had been on a motorway at least twice with a qualified instructor whilst learning. And during the test with the examiner you HAD to go on a motorway and do the speed limit. I appreciate that in Holland no-one is more than a few miles from a motorway. What century are people in the UK living in? Often other countries have better arrangements than … Read more » That is totally irresponsible. They are not equipped with the confidence to drive at such speeds. Once they have passed the regular test then they should have at least 4 motorway lessons before they can drive on one. Only a qualified driver should be allowed at such speeds. Rule 259 Joining the motorway. When you join the motorway you will normally approach it from a road on the left a slip road or from an adjoining motorway. I will be giving any new driver a very wide clearance for lane changes and overtaking. Is there any guidance on new or learner drivers speed limits? Not a reassuring change to the law at all. Can some explain how an NSL dual carriageway differs from a motorway, except from roundabouts and slip roads. What I think should be compulsory is for new drivers to display a P plate to inform others they have only passed their test. I agree with one of the other comments, do it in stages i. I forecast that in the next year the number of crashes and driving offences will increase because of this ill thought out move. I consider this ludicrous and dangerous Whoever is responsible for this change needs looking at seriously. They should not be in a position to make changes to the law They obviously have not dug deep enough into the imminent dangers of this change which affects other users of the MWay. Stupid and without enough thought. Learner drivers vary in experience and ability. I fear that some learners will be putting other motorway drivers at risk because they will not have enough experience to react appropriately at high speed to motorway incidents which can lead to accidents. I think the law should only allow them on motorways when they have had at least 6 months driving experience. Good idea but as mentioned in previous posts motorway driving should be part of the test and compulsory, otherwise how are we going to educate those newer motorists as to the rules of the highway code etc? We need to eliminate middle lane hoggers, drivers driving too slowly on a slip road and cross laners who duck and dive between lanes in order to gain a few feet. Driving on motorways is still dangerous even after having 47 years experience. This will undoubtedly cause some very serious accidents and the RAC should be ashamed of themselves. It should perhaps be part of the driving lesson process and so they can learn what to do properly, but should be after they pass the basic test. You come across drivers all the time on motorways who have no idea what they should be doing and with all the complicated junctions and very poor signage, speed traps, road works, lorries and everything else to contend with it is very very confusing … Read more » Agree with the idea of it gaining experience for learner drivers. The big problem lots of times are the instructors themselves. I have a driving insturtor on my estate and he regularly parks his training car on a juction on a pavement and on a corner. All of these things dangerous and should not be done. Hope he doesnt teach his pupils this bad practise. I think it is a good idea, given the restrictions imposed, i. I assume this will always be in a car with duel controls. How else are they supposed to learn those little extra things about motorway driving.
The Highway Code rules on motorways will also be updated. Any motorway driving lessons will voluntary, making it the responsibility of the driving instructor to decide when the learner driver is competent enough to have a motorway lesson. Finally getting them to show me it had sunk in. What will happen when we get HGVs in convoy 5 metres apart as in Germany. All of these things dangerous and should not be done. It will be up to the driving instructor to decide when the learner driver is competent enough for them. Will motorway lessons be mandatory?.
