Youngsters Driving

[Huntyfm]

Even though I'll be a 'youngster' driving I hope to god Im not like the others. Yesterday one of my mates passed his test so he came to see me along with two of the other boys in my year who have already passed.. Turning the car carpark outside my house into the college carpark.. but anyway.. the driving I witnessed last night was appalling.. Undertaking, excessive speeding (well what they could squeeze from their engines) no indicator use, and generally bad abd driving.. it really does make me wonder why there aren't more accidents on the road than there are...

The boy who had just passed his test, has as a first car an 11 plate Fiesta.. It hasnt even done 150 miles in it yet.. and last night he was red-lining every gear Shocking!!

[rhid_93]

yer ino what you mean was driving round the roads down hear in aber earlier was doin 55 happily on the twissty roads up hear and a group pf boy over took me with a car coming the other was on a f***ing corner!!!! then caught up with him futher down the road so what was the point like!!

[Huntyfm]

Some of them are so stupid. Said C2 had a prang with said 11 plate Fez this evening.. ;D

[joshspragg]

it's not just youngsters, it's people who have no care of other people or their cars!! yesterday some guy cut the corner into my lane and was about 2 inches away from the front of my car. its just stupid. i dont understand why people want to risk their own lives let alone risk other peoples. it annoys me more than anything, and people complain about insurance being too high! well its their own fault. ERR

[Huntyfm]

I do think youngsters are a bigger problem though, I was in my mates C2 when he was racing that Fezz.. And instead of calling it a loss when the Fez pulled in to slow down for the roundabout, C2 boy pulled out and kept going towards the roundabout, hitting the inside lane doing 50.. (in a Mini this is perfectly ok) but a standard C2 just made it by luck.. good job no cars wanted to cross his path really, because he couldnt stop.. "/

[jackdaw]

Speaking as one of the "Oldsters" on here I think we all went through that phase after passing the Driving Test (although some never get through that phase!!!).
I can remember thinking that I was untouchable and I could drive anyway I liked without thought for anyone else on the road.
All older drivers were "snails" and shouldn't be on the road and I was capable of passing them all in my old, rusty, and very tatty Mini 850 !!!!!

I soon learnt the truth the hard way when I managed to crunch my fathers 'new' car at a pedestrian crossing in Neath only a matter of months after passing "the Test" at the 1st attempt!!!! (my 1st RTA!).

Looking back tho I don't think I would have listened to any advice from anyone at that time.
Its just something that you have to learn the hard way with experience and the passing of the years!!!

Maybe thats why Insurance for young drivers has always be ridiculously high and is the cause of so many young driver deaths both then and now.

Not a very cheerful topic this one is it !!!! ?

[ljonez]

Being 25 I'm now classed as an experienced driver by insurance companies my driving style changed completely after I crashed ( granted it was slow speed but the crash barrier stopped me falling 40-50 feet straight down) now id rather get some where late by not taking risks than not getting there at all. It's all about driving to the conditions.
The other thing I was told by a rally driver a few years back is the tire is the only thing in contact with the road, you could have the best suspension and brake set up in the world but if the tires are crap your still not going to stop or grip the road properly.since then its only decent tires for me

[jackdaw]

That reminds me of an old saying lj

"I would prefer it to be said that jackdaw is 'late' rather than "the 'late' jackdaw"

[brivin]

I'd rather be five minutes late in this world than two minutes early in the next!!

[Huntyfm]

Not the happiest of topics I know, but one that should be discussed really.. I was reading a thread on The Mini Forum (traitor I know) that was about crashes in Minis, and there was a picture that really did disturb me, of a Mini doing 40 head on into another car doing 40.. the driver of the Mini was killed

Clicky

Theres a link to the picture, didnt wish to embedd it incase you dont wanna see it.. they've blurred out the drivers face in the Mini.. thats how it was before the emergency services touched it..

I know people bang on about how unsafe Minis are.. but Id say that can happen in any car? Its all to do with how lucky/unlucky you are surely?

[jackdaw]

Luck may play some part in it but having the skill or experience to avoid being in (or causing) a dangerous situation in the first place is sometimes what young drivers lack

[Huntyfm]

Yes I think there should actually be part of the driving test where your put on a skid pan, to see how you react when you 'lose control' It may make the whole learning to drive thing more expensive, but Id be willing to pay for it knowing I have an idea of what to do in an emergency..

[ljonez]

So 40+40 that's effectively crashing at 80mph really not a pretty sight

[sebz]

So many people pass their test & think they can 'drive'. Unfortunately that isn't always the case. Another thing people who pass 1st time can be 'worse' drivers than ones who pass on the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th attempt, cos these people know how difficult it is to get a licence & then look after it more (if you know what I mean)

[jackdaw]

So did you pass your test at the 1st attempt like me then sebz ;D

Another old saying is.....

You pass your driving test, then you learn to 'drive' !

[sebz]

Id be lying if I said yes Nah 2nd time, but my friend passed 1st time & she was a terrible driver...I mean really scary!!

[coedy]

I once was hopping it at a roundabout (linking two 60roads so obviously the roundabout was 60 also ) it was 11pm, quiet, had been raining earlier in the day after a long dry spell so the roads were greasy.(the Falkens couldnt have helped mind) and I ended up backwards on the part of dual carriageway I was aiming for.

That knocked me into shape... drove the entire way into town then at around 20mph, had a sit down quiet for a while, then headed back home at 20mph again.

I still drive spiritedly on the roundabuts.. But only when its bone dry and dead quiet. I think if someone was following me that night at a similar speed they'd have hit my drivers door and I would have had their front end on my lap.

I also dived through a Yellow light in town and a police car (unmarked) was waiting to come through from the side. He followed me to tesco and gave me a stern talking to. I apologized, admitted I was wrong etc and was tidy to him. He left me off with nothing more than feeling 3" tall and ever since Ive kept an eye on the lights more.

Lately ive found myself sitting happily at 25mph around town.... If your going slower more people will see you

Mind you the photos of stuff on the internet helped slow me down and generally be more sensible:
=That image Ryan linked to,
=A photo of a mini that was on its roof (the front of the roof was flat onto the top of the steering wheel, the driver lost his hands).
=Photos of car fires have meant I do my best to solder where possible.
=Saw a photo of a KA after an accident that hadnt bolted down a sub box in the boot which had snapped the seat mounts off and wedged itself into the back of the passenger seat (30mph into a wall, not a big accident) has meant I do my best to bolt anything down in the drivers compartment.
=Mates photo of his XR2's back end after a tyre blow out has meant I keep an eye on my tyres a bit more.

Not seen any photos of bad results of oil leaks though


(Wow....long post is long...)

[cbrown]

That photo is horrendous!

[Huntyfm]

I also believe people who pass first time generally take their license for granted.. and believe they are even better drivers..

I suppose thats the best way to learn is by experience.. unfortunately it tends to happen through the bad ones.. Yeah, its better to go slow in something like a Mini.. but in a C2 do you really want your face to be seen? haha

[sbplumb53]

a mate of mine owns/runs a large brakedown/recovery set up you do see some sites that make you think twice its slowed me down.