As a young driver who is completing the basic IAM advanced driving course, the amount you learn in the standard cat b test is ridiculous. I had never driven on a motorway until after I had passed. This is the same for a standard back road. I had had no training on how to make safe progress on a fast road, even down to planning overtakes, acceleration sense, 3 stage braking and even basic positioning. The amount I have learnt from the advanced course has drastically changed my driving style and the way I deal with hazards on the road. I would highly recommend this course to anyone, inexperienced or not.

Heard a story here in Ireland of a first time driver getting a Renault Zoe and being quoted €7000 to insure it and being told it was because of the performance of the car. If that trend keeps up there won’t be any new drivers. Insurance companies really need to kop on

Not related to the topic but these videos are a great distraction from some struggles I’ve been going through lately. I’m genuinely really grateful.

As someone who started driving a few months ago, another thing people seem not to consider is the wait for tests. I failed my first time and was on a year waiting list for a retest. It’s such a pain, and so discouraging for people wanting to drive

You know as a motorcyclist, I have thought for decades that all potential drivers should have to take a cbt. So they will understand the dangers and vulnerability of the road. As for new riders, about two months before the motorcycle law changed which was January 20th 2013. I taught my son to ride and he took his full bike test at 17 and had to ride a restricted bike for 2 years. But once he was 18 or 19 he was riding legally superbikes including a hayabusa. Mad I know, but that's how it was before 2013.

I’m at university and the amount of people you talk to who aren’t bothering getting a licence because it’s too expensive/not required is surprising, it’s just not appealing to a lot of people which is a shame and insurance really kills it for a lot of people

I’m a relatively new driver, I had one lesson on a proper motorway (3 lane and a hard shoulder). A few weeks after I passed my test I took my little XC70 up to Liverpool, 150 mile trip, and the smart motorways are terrifying. I was stressed out about the bunch of different speed cameras, the matrix boards showing inconsistent signs and the amount of drivers who don’t have lane discipline. I had to venture out into the outside lane getting bullied by German cars that wanted to go faster than 70. I was more focused on my speed than looking at the road. I think if they go ahead with “upgrading” the motorways then a part of the tests should take place on a “smart” motorway so new drivers are confident on them. My drivers test was in Chippenham and I barley went on a duel carriageway, 95% of my test was on town driving. To summarise I believe at least 3 hours should be spent on duel carriageway and motorway driving to help new drivers get more experience on driving on fast expressways. In addition knowledge should be passed on about braking distance for HGVs and lane disciple, also what to do in the event of a breakdown on a “smart” so everyone can benefit from a much better standard of driving.

You come to Jay because of a breakdown and review of some exotic Italian sports car one day, you stay for these wonderful videos speaking his mind about the state of driving in the UK and how much you agree with his thoughts. Great piece here again!

I passed my test on a Friday afternoon at 17 years old, and on the Saturday morning rocked up to Castle Coombe and spent the day on the skid pan. Best training I ever got, and has stayed with me for 35 years. Me and my mates were building and driving kit cars (primarily Westfields) at 17-18 years old, but there just seemed to be much more appreciation of what was under your right foot back then. I may be wrong, but it's a very different car culture for the youngsters these days, it seems. Most of us had full bike licenses at 17 too, when you just took a test on a 125 and could then ride anything. Sadly, I had a couple of mates in wheelchairs before their early 20s, so I do support the tiered licensing system, for both bikes and cars.

JayEmm at Glenshee! Gorgeous drive that - I'm from Aboyne just up the road so get to have a good spirited drive over the hills whenever I'm heading back home from University - always spend most of the drive looking forward to it. I agree wholeheartedly with what you say in the video regarding engine (or battery) restrictions for new drivers, and I'm really enjoying the discussion surrounding what is actually learned throughout the licensing process from other viewers. When I had my test I'd been learning to drive with my Dad who'd been driving for near on 50 years and the amount of 'advanced' techniques he taught me was all stuff I didn't realise was 'advanced' in the first place until I spoke to my mates who had also passed. I don't mean to say I'm an incredible driver by any means but I thought it was interesting how differently they viewed certain aspects of driving - making progress, planning overtakes, etc - but it makes sense when none of these things are factored into the DVLA curriculum. I have several friends who have never overtaken anyone outwith a dual carriageway/motorway because they think it's too dangerous! I should imagine it helps a great deal if you're into cars when you're learning to drive too, though. I knew that when I was learning with my Dad I was going into it with a real desire to drive because I'd always loved cars, whereas my girlfriend is only learning at the moment because she needs to - she wouldn't bother learning if she didn't have to. Perhaps someone who has just been taught 'to drive' by an instructor might think that what they've been taught is all there is to know. Food for thought, I suppose. Great video as always!

Another brilliant video mate, some excellent points! I've always wanted my bike licence, ridden loads of motocross when I was younger and been obsessed with MotoGP/Superbikes etc all my life, great that I now have the licence and partial brain power to access two wheels, albeit during the summer months 😉Cheers!

agree, we're gonna have a lot of people not used to the speed, I'm more worried about the older folk getting into electric.

I totally agree with your thoughts on the high performance of electric cars. The people who get them will probably only have driven small family hatchbacks, and are now driving a performance car. The acceleration that an EV has can get you into a lot of trouble very quickly. On the subject of elderly drivers, my father was driving a BMW Mini Cooper S in his 80’s, and he was a very good driver. As I am approaching “elderly” status, and drive a Porsche, I have learnt through driving many performance cars, that you need to treat their power with respect.

Just marry the first category a new driver can have to the Japanese Kei car spec. Perfectly serviceable runabouts, with several manufacturers ready to meet demand with a large variety of models to fit all tastes in production. They even come with the steering wheel on the correct side.

I am 20 years old living in London. Ive watched every single one of your videos and have spent WAY too much time browsing on auto trader (for no reason except entertainment) and reading about the most random cars on wikipedia. Yet even I have not bothered getting my license. Where I live it would cost me almost £4000 a year to get insured on an entry level corsa. £70 per 2 hour lesson and a 18 month waiting list to book your test + no such thing as parking in my area, and a much faster and cheaper tube within walking distance. Its a real shame especially coz most of my dream cars are not ulez compliant (106 rallye and various other early 2000's bmw's)

You make a good point about electric cars. I witnessed a tesla reversing from their driveway yesterday, was very odd. They couldn't control it, it shot out rapidly. I don't know why they haven't restricted the acceleration, but I have an idea: these early EVs are allowed to be fast to encourage take up from people who otherwise wouldn't be interested. When it's time, the government will legislate against it, and everyone will have their EV detuned. Probably sinple enough to do. All new cars by law have speed limiter and tracking tech now, so I don't know why anyone would buy one, but I suspect they will reduce the specs of them soon. At first people won't protest, but then they'll take it too far. The slippery slope is real, not a fallacy. They've gone crazy with 20mph limits, banning cars from places (even EVs), and they're not gonna stop until they have total control. TLDR: don't give them ideas, and excuses to impose more control

Great video as always Jay! Here in Italy we have something similar to what you put forward: for the first year of you having a license, you can only drive cars with less than 95hp and a power to tare ratio of 75hp/t (which in my opinion as a petrolhead is almost too strict cause modern cars weigh and cost a lot more than the Punto or mk2 Clio us mortals can afford. Also, even if the old beaters aren't as heavy, with 4 passengers and no turbo options pulling out in a roundabout becomes genuinely dangerous, unless you dump the clutch and burn it in the process). In addition to that, for the 3 years as a novice driver you have to be completely sober (which should be the norm for everyone), if you break the highway code you get double the points taken away from your license (that's why grandparents get so many speeding tickets: grandchildren driving the only car they can and wanting to keep their license after going 33 in a 30). Icing on the cake, novice drivers have lower speed limits (60 instead of 80 on highways, 55 in 70mph motorways; I rounded a bit so non-metric folks don't have to google conversions).

I passed my test in May. I haven't started driving yet due to very high insurance costs on anything, second hand prices and lack of parking. I know when I do start I will need A lot of practice. Its a shame because after a lot of work beating my nerves, I really loved driving. My instructor wouldn't put me through until test as fails increase the likelihood that they will be retested, which is fair enough. Most people I know my age group (early 20s) do not have a license/want one due to aforementioned costs, test booking times, instructor availability etc. Huge shame we don't have as many 2nd handers as the US. Great video!

Your on to something Jay. I'm 37, past my test best part of 20yrs ago, early 2000's my first car on the road was a MG ZR Trophy, (the entry level 105, with I think the optional extra of the 17" multi spoke alloys from original owner, no CD player/EW) cost me £7995, & just over 3k to insure. After that I had a 1.4 polo 6n2, slower but better built car. I then tried getting a Classic Impreza WRX. But as I was not 25 I was unable to get anyone to insure me on, this being around 2006/2007 roughly. But a few years back I see on insta where 17 year old are driving around in i30N's etc, maybe things changed but it's daft that kids with no experience can jump in quick cars compared to what I was able to as a first time driver, yes I had that ZR, but were not that quick, 100bhp ish, no torque and flat out eventually at 110ish. That car was the ceiling for me to actually get insurance on, I had the option of two RX7's for a very similar price, but no one touch me insurance wise.

Brilliant!! A country drive with a subject that is not about the car you're in. It's like a podcast on wheels with cool drive by's / sound / exterior shots etc... Jay has tapped into something new here. Go for a drive in a cool car and pic an interesting subject on "anything"... and with his wordsmith talent it is damn entertaining.

Oh you are a youngster Jay. I've never had a lesson or test on 2 wheels, yet can ride my 1972 Puch Maxi S 50cc moped without L-plates on my car licence. Having passed in 1996 I can drive up to 7.5 tonne too and did many years back working for recovery firms.

Interesting video as usual James, being honest, I am a young chap myself, only with about 6 months experience, I am a petrolhead - love cars but I understand the importance of being safe, not doing dangerous things on the road, it only takes one little thing to have an accident and injure somebody. That's why I don't take risks or do anything dangerous on the roads, especially in busy urban areas. It's okay to stretch a cars legs on some faster A-roads sometimes but understanding the speed limits, the limits of the car, and your driving ability as well as the conditions of the road and weather. Some people just pass their test, have a blatant disregard for safety and don't know how easy it is to get into an accident. I think most young drivers are already pretty crippled by insurance and telematics policies to not be in fast cars but even in slow cars you can still do a horrific amount of damage. Road safety is very important and maybe more education about it might help. But we don't want insurance to rise anymore than it already is. Shouldn't be the norm to pay thousands for insurance but instead to reduce the amount of accidents caused by newly passed drivers.

Thanks J, good points in the video. 🙏🙏 Britain was short of lorry drivers in my industry around 13 years ago, perhaps legislation was lightened then, or recently when the situation got even worse? Shortbread, a couple of Werthers Originals or boiled sweets, will never fail!

Here in Malaysia it is also the same. The RTD introduces two driving lessons one for manual and one for automatic. If you choose automatic in your license there will be indicator "A" indicating that you are only authorised to drive automatic cars. Both my kids opted for this even though I advised them to take manual lessons. Part of it is due the hill stop test and normally for manual car most people will fail as it takes skill to balance the accelerator and cluth pedals.

I’m surprised to hear you only passed you car test in 2016. Interesting vid thanks. My licence dates back to 1989 when I was 17, which means I can drive loads of things my kids who passed in the last couple of years can’t, so adding bhp restrictions doesn’t seem much of a leap.

As ever many valid points. Despite the way the media present older people, we're not all so old and doddery that we need tiny car with an auto box to drive to the local shop because our Zimmer frame won't take us that far. I'm in my seventies, I've always loved driving and enjoy the sort of roads you were on in the vid - great fun, even if I don't have the resources for the kind of machinery you drive. The old saying that there's a lot of fun driving a slow car fast is true. There's another anomaly with licences. When you turn seventy they take away your minibus entitlement. This didn't bother me as I don't need it these days, but I'm still allowed to drive the very same vehicle so long as it doesn't have seating for so many passengers and it doesn't have windows in the sides. It's called a van! Crazy. The rear visibility for reversing is worse in a van, especially it it's a Luton body.

As a 75+ year old with 60 years of driving experience behind me, most of it either on the roads you are on in this video or motorway driving. I would agree with you on the EV scenario not only for new drivers but also those of my age! I would not be against a fitness test for those over 70 with regards to perception and reaction times etc. Currently we have to renew our licence every three years from age 70 but there is virtually no restrictions, as you could be almost blind, deaf, or loosing your cognitive abilities, and still be allowed to drive! The one thing I would like to see being banned completely in cars are mobile phones, as they have been the cause of as many accidents as drink. I also think that any audio equipment should have a volume limit strictly imposed purely from a safety point of view. Drivers have to be able to hear other motorists & emergency vehicles!

Really interesting video as usual. In Northern Ireland we have a system where for the first one year after passing your test you must display "R" plates similar in size to the traditional "L" plates. During that time you can still drive any car but are restricted to 45 mph. I think we were supposed to be a trial for the whole UK but doesn't seem to have been adopted anywhere else.

I began riding a motorcycle on a cbt and then DAS many years later. And then a car licence many years later. And then a bus driver. All without any incidents accidents thanks to my previous experience starting out on a motorcycle.

I'm a HGV1 driver and think that there SHOULD be a second part to the test. And that AFTER passing a test for A and B roads you will have to pass a Motorway test before you are allowed on to a Motorway. I encounter people everyday entering the Motorway system at speeds from 20 mph upto 40 mph, lane hogging at slow speeds, driving to close to the car in front, phone in hands whilst driving, I spotted a bloke today eating his cereal from a bowl at 50 mph!! I was taught to value C.O.A.S.T . . . . Consideration, Observation, Anticipation, Space and Time. There needs to be a radical rethink in teaching driving values.

When I was offered a company car many years ago, to qualify (so company insurance was reduced) my company sent you on a defensive driving course, 2 trainees and an instructor, about 6 hours in a car taking turns driving and discussing how bad we both were 😂 but it was well worth it, and at the end when we were tested for about 45 mins of driving each, with no instruction, just follow signs to x, and about 10mins of that involved describing the road, potential hazards, what was behind, and why we were doing what we were doing, we both felt it was well worth the time, and I went on to do a couple more lessons (but I didn’t do the full IAM). I felt then, and still now, that everyone should do this training, it included a bit of motorway driving too.

Excellent thoughtful video - thanks James. As an old person some of us can still drive and take doing it well very seriously - but not nearly enough do! Lol

A young person came past in a HGV with 45 tones of 1100cc motorbikes on board

Absolutely agree, when humdrum cars start doing sub 5 0-60 times then that may have the side effect of effectively having 2 tonne missiles on the road with an "inadequate control system" onboard.

Get a petition set up, and get the people and the govt. talking about it. Your concerns are absolutely valid. I'm pleased I have both full licences.

Nice video, I remember doing my motorbike test back in 89. I did a part 1 in a car park stopping beside cones, then shortly after that I did the part 2 which consisted of an examiner stood on a corner whilst you rode around the block. I passed both 1st time but did the sensible thing of going from a Yamaha RD 125cc to a Yamaha RD350cc, that was the huge step and made me realize I'd waisted my money tuning my 125 lol. After that I went and got a Yamaha RD500cc which taught me a lot. Next up was a Yamaha FZR600cc (my first 4 stroke), after which was a Suzuki GSXR 750cc ( it kept jumping out of 2nd gear, so that went), then I got a Yamaha FZR1000cc EXUP, and rode that for a few years. Sadly I had a few then friends that rushed the step, and went 125cc to 1000cc, sadly they are no longer around, so the newer system is far better. The same should be done with cars, 100% definitely.

I passed my motorcycle test waaaaay back when the examiner simply watched from the roadside having given some instructions about which roads I was to take! He was apparently able to run down a few alleyways to see me pass by and at one point stepped out to make me do an emergency stop. Back at the test centre I was asked 3 questions from the highway code, then congratulated on my pass, at which point I was licensed to ride absolutely any motorcycle of any power. I could now go to the local motorcycle shop and buy a 120bhp 140mph superbike, well I could if I was rich enough! I think you're spot on with staged licensing. Most people never ever drive high powered cars. We might all be interested in them, but really most people aren't. Most people are driving run of the mill hatchbacks that are competent short distance shopping and commuting cars, but hardly taxing to drive. People might think this becomes some kind of wealth tax again, only rich people would be able to afford the extra tests, but let's face it, you're going to need a bit of spare cash to run a performance vehicle. Of course, being ancient, none of this would apply to me 🙂

“Shortbread” 🤣🤣🤣. As a petrolhead who is married to an ardent biker, I wholeheartedly agree with what you’ve said. I believe Northern Ireland already operates a restricted car licence for the first 12 months of driving which could be rolled out across Britain. I also feel it would make drivers far more aware if they had to complete a CBT on a motorcycle or trike, even if they had no intention of ever riding. I have an A2 licence holding friend who has a restricted 500 bike but drives an articulated car transporter for a living which seems crazy! Surely EV’s could read the drivers licence number electronically and run a restricted map for inexperienced drivers with only a small number of software tweaks.

In Australia there are limits to the type of car you can buy including power, power/weight ratio, NA/turbo etc until you come off probationary at 22

I have been driving since I was 17 and I am retiring this year at 66 almost 50 years on the road, I have had 911’s, supercharged jags, range rovers, Morris minors , all sorts. I currently have a Tesla M3 long range, the standard reps car and next to bottom of the Tesla range, and it’s too fast way too fast, and that speed is addictive and just too accessible, there is no longer any joy in hooking up a series of bends, climbing that curvy twisting road up the steep hill. It’s x box performance, and I agree not for the new inexperienced driver, but as electric cars become a standard company car, I am convinced that the recovery services will be pulling company car drivers out of hedges all over the country, and in the winter I suspect it’s only the 4wd that saves them. So totally agree staged access is the thing, just don’t take MY electric car away when I get older, 😊 is that shortbread over there?

This is pretty much the way it works in Australia (State of Victoria specifically in this example) At 16 you take a theory exam on roadrules and such, then they give you a learner's permit where you have to drive with a full license holder sitting next to you at all times and no longer than 2 hours at a time, you also must display a big yellow L plate. 2 years and atleast 150 logged hours of varied condition driving later you do the strict practical test (in a manual for a manual and auto license or auto for just an auto license) with a state driving tester and you get your P (propationary) license which has 2 levels, the Red P plate for the first year, the first 6 months of which there's a driving curfew that goes from midnight to 5am unless for necessary work or study, you can only carry one passenger and in some states you can only drive 90kph, then the Green P plate for another 3 years where you can have more passengers and can drive the full speed limit but you are still limited to cars with 130kw/t (kilowatts per metric tonne) or less (including EV's) until you are then given your full license where you are free to drive what you want at the minimum age of 21. There are also lots of other restrictions on towing loads, blood alcohol content, more punishment for speeding and other traffic offenses etc.

Yeah I had a small incident with my rx8 that had to be claimed on, my insurance 4x'd for its renewal to ~£1.5k and I'm not even young driver really anymore at 24. cost of driving is mental.

For an American listening to the requirements it's amazing. In California, it's an add on to your regular license. You're given a learners permit to drive the bike of your choice and then the practical test. End of story. This may be unpopular, but I've been watching Clarkson's Farm. The level of rules and regulations amazes me. Especially for a farm. I've been to the Cotswolds and yes it's beautiful. But after spending two weeks in Provence last year it's clear that French regulations are a lot less restrictive.

Great video James, very valid and interesting points made. I completely agree there should be some form of power restriction for new drivers in the electric world. Theoretically it should be very simple with tailored driver profiles in the cars brain/ECU. Let’s hope this gets some traction and drives the discussion 👍 Che

When I was working on getting my bike licence and HGV, I took two theories on the same day, having already taken a theory several years ago for my car test.

As you are driving in Scotland i believe that you should know that the SNP are working towards the removal of at least 20% of all Private Vehicles within a few years. If Scotland which is predominately a rural country can consider this, then perhaps more urban areas will view this utopian ideal more favourably . eg Oxford. London and Bristol with their high charges for ULEZ zones and the new madness of rationing roads by POST CODE and Days of the week up to a maximum of about 100 days per annum called Low Traffic Neighbourhoods.

First off, Top quality video bringing up a topic that needs addressing. Just a small correction, if you are old enough for a full A bike license ( 21 and up ) you don't have to stage it over all of those 2 year periods. I did my A2 license at 17 with my dad (52) since he was old enough he could go from CBT straight to a full unlimited license. since I got my bike license two years before my car license i had a totally different perspective on driving and felt like i had a distinct advantage in road awareness. I passed my test during Covid in a town i didn't know first try with no lessons, i put A LOT of that down to my motorcycle instructors. The teaching and nuggets of life saving information like positioning, distance judging, braking and car body language are essential and should definitely be part of the car test/teaching. Also in the bike test as mentioned in the video is the "cones test" basically a handling test. this needs to be a thing in a car test. watching people drive its clear that very few drivers know what to do on slippy surfaces, fast twisty roads, swerve situations, and also direct hazard avoidance whilst also not causing an accident yourself. all of which is taught ( drilled in ) in bike training.

2:55 The Kia EV6 GT is not 'less than £60,000'. That price would get you the EV6 GT-Line (a family SUV in a fancy frock)

The best things I've ever done to improve my car driving safety are the IAM course, and my bike CBT! I did some track day training in a car before that, but and as fun as that is it's not anywhere near as useful as predicting other idiots!

Speaking from the experience of someone who went the bike route first: I think the Cat B (though mainly the driving lessons before then) are pivotal in understanding the road at all. I passed my CBT first time round. I promptly crashed it because I could interpret road markings (give way sign was obscured by a tree, which didn't help either).

I totally understand what you are saying Jay. It also doesn't help that they are trying to make getting a car driving licence difficult if you are not good at theory tests and lack money. I keep failing my theory test even though I was so close to passing. For some reason hazard perception is not my problem, it's multiple choice and I haven't been behind the wheel in a few years now and I'm in my mid 20s. Hopefully I will get my full license and drive but another problem I am suffering is that I live in London and London is no good for cars. Anyway your videos are great, keep up the good work.

James, very sensible ideas. With electric cars especially, this approach is needed and quickly not in a few years, which is probably when our gov might think about it.

I’ve been trying to learn to drive since I was 17, I’m now 22. I have difficulty learning new things sometimes and with the prohibitive cost of lessons and a lack of friends and family willing to teach me I’ve been in a sort of limbo for the past few years. I’d like to think I’d be on the road soon but I struggle with traditional style exams like the theory. I remember I went to do my theory and was severely put off by unfriendly staff at the test centre. It’s frustrating that I’m having all these challenges because I really want to get out and have a bit of freedom and enjoy myself

When I did my bike test I rode around a housing estate while the examiner observed my riding. We did an emergency stop and then a few highway code questions and I was free to swap my MZ125 for a 750 Suzuki. Those were the days! On EV's it should be easy enough to limit the power of the car in software for newly qualified drivers. In fact it could be linked to the car remote fob so if the car was driven by more experienced drivers then they would have their own fob. Each fob would indicate if it is a full power or restricted version so when plod pull you they can check this against your license.

Cost of driving has become more and more expensive those now learning to drive have to wait longer for test dates and pay more for lessons ect... It's far better to buy the car you like and use it to drive it than pay the odds

About every 2-3 years my mother, who is 63 now, and has been driving for 18 years, spins out somewhere during the winter. She says i'm too agressive a driver, but do i spin out? I don't, and that's considering that i sometimes give it a bit of an angle. Her excursions have thankfully never led to any consequence, but i don't think spinning out really exists, losing control does, and it's not about age, it's about involvement in what you're doing, so some kind of a watershed for someone to get into a fast car is required, which would make it a deliberate effort, be it skidpad lessons or some other type of qualification proof, given that you can get yourself into trouble in a 130 hp kia if you don't know what you're doing.

I got my bike licence in 74. Back then, it was a 10 min test observed from the pavement, and one emergency stop.

Great idea. The only way it will work is if the exchequer gets a slice! I’m 66 and a former professional driver, but I think anyone over 60 should have regular driving tests as even though I’m fit and healthy my driving ability is way less than when I drove for a living, (but still far better than many I witness on the public highway!)😂

I have passed my test when I was 22 (money was tight when i was 17-18 and later i was more focused on my studies), i got my first car about a month and a half later, a 2009 Mazda 2 GTA with a peppy 1.5 engine and a shortly geared manual gearbox, after 2 years of driving i still dont find i reached the potential of this little car with 103hp. I have been feeling similarly with you and i'd set similar limits, a basic licence for grocery getters and small roadsters that most people can get, if anybody has money for a Golf GTI or Focus ST/RS they probably have some more to do a bit of training. Another thing i'm worried about is the increasing weight of cars, slightly fancier saloons are easily around the two ton mark and there are SUVs too driven by distracted people which is also dangerous.

In Australia they have a somewhat complicated system for getting your car license First you must pass a knowledge test to get your learner license (you can drive but must have someone next to you) After a year of having your l’s you can do a hazard perception test Then if you have completed the required hours and pass the practical test you get your red p’s which allows you to drive by yourself. In NSW there are restrictions on what can be driven on your p’s e.g the car must have a power to weight ratio of under 130kw/t and have a 0 to 60 time of no less than 6 seconds. This is good however in other states such as Western Australia there are no such restrictions.

I think at current it doesn’t matter an enormous amount as insurance is so ludicrously high for anyone below 21-25 with any car a with a bit of power I think adding more tests would not actually result in much of a noticeable change for young people and what car they own, may work better for older drivers with less experience though.

What’s the AM video link? I can’t seem to find it. Is there a V8 power pack that AM do like they did for the V12?

Excellent thought process, it makes complete sense to me.

I think even just having changing how driving is taught in England would help a lot in terms of road/driver safety and in turn help with insurance costs. Here in Germany we have to learn to drive with a dedicated instructor who takes you through a curriculum to teach and show you the dangers on the road and taking you to increasingly challenging/dangerous roads in your area usually staying in town/city centre if you live near one whilst also doing some B-road driving. On top of this you have to complete a minimum set of hours of B-road, night and motorway driving during which they make sure you are made aware on how to behave and what dangers can occur. Then when your instructor thinks you are ready to take the exam your instructor sits with you while a state examiner sits in the back. All this has been getting rather expensive in recent years with everything coming in at around 2000 Euros but that isn't stopping most young people learning to drive. With this you are allowed to drive a car up to a max. theoretical loaded weight of 3,5 tonnes or a car-trailer combo up to the same 3,5 tonne rule. This leads to not just people in general being safe drivers but also having respect of the roads. However even so I think having an extra course for particularly high powered cars would be a good idea

An excellent topic! My addition to your piece is... 1. Both hybrid and fully electric vehicles are CVT/automatic transmission. Therefore, in the years to come we will potentially see far more people learning to drive and ride EV's only taking an automatic license. With hybrid and EV still costing a far higher premium to get into than IC vehicles, potentially the manual test will be considered the poor persons test?! However, those with a manual license will get to drive both (including the classic car offerings - cheaper insurance etc); unlike those limited to their automatic licenses. 2. As a motorcyclist and car driver, I learnt far more from a "Bike Safe" course following passing my bike test than I did whilst gaining my direct access bike licence. There is currently no opportunity for car drivers to do a similar (inexpensive) course following passing their test. The driving test should be seen as merely the first stepping stone on a motorists education. Ie adequate. Further training in a tier format should be available (but not mandatory), and insurance companies should also recognise the tier structure. The current advanced licence is not fit for purpose (rip off)! As the small discount one gets on an insurance premium cost, actually is spent each year on the membership. 3. Young, middle aged, or old, it should make no difference in terms of "experience". I know many people who had no previous motorcycle experience and did a one week direct access bike test course and then shortly thereafter had a serious accident crashing their high performance motorcycle due to their inexperience and incompetence. Age doesn't cover inexperience! So a two year probation for "any" new driver/rider, together with a performance limitation, would be a positive start.

As a pupil at a good grammar school we lost one or more members of the fifth or sixth forms (years 11 to 13 now.) to a motorcycle accident every year. The motorcycle park end of the school, was packed with motor cycles. One particularly cool member of staff joined them on his Honda 750 four. Later in the 90s I returned to the school to teach and all the sixth form had progressed to cars, there were no motorbikes, there was only one death due to a car crash that I can remember from that time and that may have been caused by a component malfunction though speed was a factor. You are right about electric cars and the need for perhaps a performance limit on young drivers. At the moment that function is carried out by the insurance companies essentially pricing young drivers out of the performance market. But he cars I learnt on had about 50bhp per Litre, that's 65bhp or so for my Marina 1.3, now a Peugeot 107 has 70 bhp and is regarded as an entry level car. I knew myself only too well and only bought a sports car when I was convinced the silliness of youth had worn off.

Here in VicDanistan, formerly part of the Commonwealth of Australia, we have a power to weight restriction for probationary drivers... both for cars and motorcycles. When I got my licences in 2005, I had a 1978 XC GXL Fairmont with a factory 302 and that was fine while it was factory. Then I did some pretty tasty mods to it and it definitely wasn't legal, but I was moving to Western Australia, where there were no restrictions and used to get around in that with a 383 stroker engine swapped into it. The thing was a beast, still is a beast, the bloke I sold it to still has it and it still runs the same engine, only needed a minor freshen up last year. Not bad for a bunch of kids (with a bit of help from dad) barely out of high school bolting it together. Anyway, I used to get harassed on the east coast in it. In Western Australia, the cops just used to pull me over to have a look at the car, they were always cool. Buuuuut it must be said, that was NOT a car for a young driver and scared me stiff on too many occasions to mention. As much as young me hated the laws, dad of a 15 year old now is 100% behind them. How old I feel

Shocked!! When started riding at 17 just brought a Suzuki 250 put "L" plates no lessons taught myself put in for a bike test passed and brought a Suzuki GS750 happy days, that was all you had to do by law. Must admit if I had to go through that to-day probably wouldn't bother, may-be that's the idea.. Great Video

I have also done an IAM course also. I’m in Shropshire. I was much more surprised I passed the the advanced course. That says it all. I hope to do an IAM skills day in near future. Shropshire offer a CPD pathway upto master level also.

When I took my driving test (a long time ago) I was very confident I could pass, unless I had a really bad day. But I didn't think I was ready to be let loose on the road by myself. I had never driven in the wet, had hardly driven at night, and had never gone over 70 km/h, the L plate limit. I passed easily enough, and survived driving on my own as much due to luck as good management.

Oh shortbread !! As an increasingly crusty old git (been driving both cars and riding bikes for 45 + years) I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments and both ends of the age and experience spectrum. Driving a modest hatchback with a 0-60 of 12 seconds I’m beginning to feel very vulnerable at the current power output of electric vehicles no matter what experience the driver has. Thought provoking video 👍

Great video. I've been looking into how and why speed limits are being reduced here in NZ, despite the vastly safer vehicles that are available, chasing a dream called 'Road to Zero'. This singular focus on speed limits completely ignores the only thing that actually makes a difference - the driver. And hence very thing you are talking about - hands on driver training, instead of handing out bits of plastic and saying 'good luck, learn on the job and hopefully you don't kill anyone or yourself'

I took my test on Rover SD1 2600... The examiners face was a picture, but I was taught how to handle such a big car. I've continued to have big cars since..

You basically described me at the beginning! I learned to drive in my partner’s car for about a month, never saw an instructor or went to driving school, then passed my test driving in the same car that I learned in (automatic) and then got a Tesla as a first car - it was too quick, ended up selling the Tesla and changed to an x3 which is much more civilised but now I understand how dangerous fast car really are, especially for people that aren’t experienced. Also most people are deranged and will get upset if you overtake them in a slower car, the amount of Teslas and Kia’s that won’t let me overtake them is just ridiculous so it’s obvious most people aren’t ready to drive these crazy quick cars and something should change. That’s my rant for the day

Torquay the epicenter for the olds having car accidents. Also The Avenue in Lower Sunbury. Car parking is facing the shops.The count is now 3 cars parked half into shops. Last one was a ladies hairdressers. 3 customer and staff hurt. Btw I have AM N430 vantage.

The solution for mentioned elderly is simple, but not quite present just yet - self-driving cars. Although I don't know if it ever comes to England as most of our roads are from the 19th century.

There is a real issue when people who just got their license or only drove

After I flew the UK coop again in 2003, and when I breached 70 years, my UK driving licence was automatically revoked as I couldn't provide a UK address. Bit inconvenient renting a car on the rare occasions I visited, but it discouraged UK visits which was a plus with respect to rip-off UK. Then I realised I no longer have access to the NHS and also my National Insurance (State Pension) was frozen, namely no increases for you sunshine. I'm starting top wonder if I'm still British. Blessing in disguise or what! Jack, the Japan Alps Brit

I’m so glad I’m 5 years ncb now, when I passed I managed to get quotes for sub 1k on vx corsa but some of the people I know the prices they are paying are ludicrous

I would scrap all of the current system and just have a 2 stage process for both car and bike. For bike, no matter your age you do a 2 day course with a multi choice theory test (a halfway house between CBT and the current full test), allowing you to ride a 125 forever with P plates but no motorways or pillion. After 2 years of continuous ownership you can re take the course on a 600cc+ remove the P plates (if you do it on an auto you are limited to auto). For car, I would have a similar thing, you have to do it in a car with no more than 200bhp and no more than 150bhp/ton but instead of a 1hr test where you have to be perfect it would be 2 days with an instructor and at the end if they are happy you are not a danger to others than you get your license with P plates and no motorway use. after 2 years you can do the course again with a more powerful car (auto limits you to auto only). In order to drive HGV you must have the full size car or bike license meaning you should already have 2 years experience and have had 4 full days training and passed 2 tests.

Great stuff as always.

I passed my B in 2009, my A2 in 2015 and my full A in 2022. The staging on bikes makes perfect sense from an idiot-proofing perspective. I think a staged process up the car types makes perfect sense. I know FAR more wallies in cars than on bikes. Check out how the driving licence works in Finland - very interesting.

Have to agree with @LW_2003 I completed my IAM course about 20 years ago and it was great. Really opens your eyes to the environment you are in when driving and is far more expansive than a normal driving test. I think a limit to the power level for 2 years followed by a more advanced course and test would be perfect.

After having my first car for about 8 or 9 months, I upgraded to something with the best part of 2.5 times the power. It was a car I'd always wanted, but the jump up in performance really caught me by surprise, even for something that isn't all that fast compared with modern vehicles. I certainly wasn't the best driver when I started, which was about three years after getting my license, and I'm glad I didn't jump straight in and get a fast car right from the start. It's rather cliche, but you do have to respect a car's power. A bit more power makes driving easier in some places, but you do have to be careful.

The thing with electric cars being too quick is that all it takes to turn them down is some software and a volume knob, but that volume knob - if it has one at all - is buried in some touchscreen menus. Didn't Italy used to have some kind of step-up system with new drivers?

In 24. Since I passed my test I've had a 75hp ford fiesta and a 95hp Dacia Sandero with a turbo. Both had more than enough power for everyday driving and both are comfortable on the motorway. Any more power will simply lead to burning more fuel in most cases. I'm happy that I have a car that comfortably seats four people, has a big boot, gets out of its own way and does 42mpg around town and 46 on long journeys. Maybe when I'm older and I have more money and driving experience I might look at something a bit more pokey but I'm happy. I don't want to have to pay through the nose on insurance to run a fiesta st or BMW 1 series like some people my age do.

I don't know why my motorcycle licence is part of my driving licence, so if I get banned from cars it affects me on bikes too. It's not right. You do separate tests, they're complete separate skills, so why is it legally one thing. A pilots licence is separate isn't it. Just a thought I had.

Interesting idea. Because I am ancient when I passed my bike test, you could ride anything up to 250cc, fitted with L plates, back them there was some fairly quick bikes. The electric car licence issue may need looking at. Last week a friend road tested a new Nissan Leaf EV, even with 4 adults on board it was surprisingly quick, actually a decent car. The driver has driven very little for a few years, (and it showed!) in a few days she will be let loose in a busy area, on her own in what 5 years ago would have been a quick car. Warning old people are coming after you!

Good Ideas Well Said!!!

Good points... Very good points!

The suggestions of limiting horsepower per tonne for people learning to drive is something that is widely done in Australia. The way it works in many states is that you do a theory test then you are on your learners for me I was required to do 110 hours of driving with someone with a full licence before doing a practical test and after doing that you are on your provisional licence in which you are able to drive on your own but your limited to cars with less than 130kw per tonne.

My first car was a 1.4 Rover 25, was plenty of power at 19 and 20 years old.

In Australia inexperienced drivers are limited on the vehicles they can legally drive. Basically turbo and V8 cars are banned.

ian from liverpool moved here recently . small town in the center of maine .usa. couple miles up the road. it's like setting a kept animal free

Enjoy your shortbread when you're in that carboard box James... it'll be your turn one day 😜

One thing that is practical and firmly believe would make better drivers is requiring all new drivers to take a CBT course on a moped/scooter. I learnt so much riding a motorbike in London for 10 years and riding to work every day. I started on a scooter and moved to a Suzuki 650 then a Honda cbr600f1 not a big bike but still 155mph and about 3 seconds to,60. The cbt gets you on the road in about 4 hours and you are so aware of other road users t will make anyone a better car driver

I passed January 2020, just before the 'vid. I passed first time after about 6 months of driving my own car with my parents, plus about 15 hours of lessons. If I'd only done the lessons, I wouldn't know how to drive at speed, how to drive economically, how to drive an auto (I still don't but I understand the basics, normally just need to ask how to start the car, hold in the brake etc). Was never taught how to deal with changing conditions either, I understand how to drive in the snow but that was never mentioned even when I was doing lessons through winter.

Not much to add on the discussion matter, but that looks like the Braemar to Blairgowrie old military road, good fun to drive in just about any vehicle.

Wow In the 80's I went straight from a Casal 50 moped to a CBX 1000 & survived without a scratch! I borrowed a Suzuki GT 185 to do my test . I guess the modern licensing system must have saved 1000's of lives especially on a bike.

Some form of skidpan training should also be included as part of a more advanced driving qualification, to teach drivers how to deal with loss of traction and control. I've had my full licence since 1979 and only the last four years of living in Finland have I become comfortable with handling a car going slightly sideways on snow and ice.