Originally Posted by
DX-MAN
A lot of talk about the renewal process -- how about stiffening the initial process, as well?
20 questions? Are you mad? 50, at least. The test should reflect the seriousness of the license and its responsibility.
Licenses should be tougher to get and easier to lose, maybe then people will catch a clue that driving isn't party time.
I think it depends on the questions, driving test questions are often currently set up so there is one obvious answer, one possible answer and 2 or 3 joke answers.
What you need is 3 or 4 possible answers, where you need to be paying attention, to get the right one. More questions are always possible, such a test would need the questions reviewed on occasion, and statistics should be kept to see how many people get which ones wrong. I missed one thing in my initial response, that I intended to include, upon renewal you need to provide a special form from a licenced optometrist, and a medical form from your doctor.
The initial process, that's got to be much tougher, it should be as process similar to a pilots licence. You need to pass tests, then log so many hours, before taking more tests, and logging more hours, graduated licencing on steroids. One test I would like to see is a simulator test, this throws just about anything possible at the driver being tested, including a very inexperienced and very intoxicated, unlit ninja cyclist. Violating the law, or crashing is an automatic fail. For a new driver, there is the drive from h*ll, then it's repeated next time, but your in a highway tractor with a 53' trailer. Ninja is back driving a car this time, his/her job is to try to make you fail. That trailer is also trying to make you fail. The reasoning here is that seeing how difficult it is to drive such a vehicle with it's poor sight lines, and huge blind spots, would teach the driver to be careful around such vehicles. A young man should walk out of that simulator about 3kg lighter, because they have just spent an hour sweating buckets. Another test for the new driver, but near the end of the process, should be the requirement that they have taken and passed skid control training. Just thinking, the road test for existing drivers, might just be better if it were a run through that same simulator.
Two things, drunk driving and hit and run, get you a suspended licence (5 years), that is cancelled when the suspension is over, this means the MOT/DMV erases the fact you ever had a licence, you now need to start over as a brand new driver. Driving without a valid licence, should subject you to a massively huge fine (thinking 25% of your annual income would be sufficient -- yes that does mean that a doctor making $1,000,000 per year would pay more then the ditch digger who makes $10,000 per year -- not fair, I know, but so what?), also the vehicle being confiscated, if the vehicle is not one that you own, the owner can sue you for up to 75% of the value, they should have checked your licence, before loaning/renting you the vehicle, so they need to share some pain. A website should be set up, where you can key in a drivers licence number, and it will show you valid or invalid, but no other information.
If your drunk driving or hit and run, results in injury or death, you are held fully liable, even if the collision was caused by the other party. Drivers should be scared spitless of driving after consuming alcohol. professional drivers even more so.