The Insanity of The British Driving Licence, and The Simple Change It Needs NOW 

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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

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!

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 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)

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'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.

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).

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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 🙂

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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?

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!

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.

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

Great stuff as always.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Excellent thought process, it makes complete sense 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Good Ideas Well Said!!!

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.

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!)😂

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 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.

Good points... Very good points!

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)

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.

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.

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

1 year assessments should be done. LOads of revenue for HMG and loads of assurance for the dedicated car owners. End!

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.

You would need a car ticket to start the HGV courses though. So in theory you would have driven something at least as far as the test.

A few years ago I was in the US. For various reasons I wanted a US drivers licence, so rang the local office on Monday, was given an appointment for Tuesday PM. I went, had an eye test, a theory test and a practical test there and then, and left with a proper, plastic photocard licence, for the princely sum of $35. That is where any change needs to start. The simple cost, complexity and time involved with DVLA. Using the motorcycle formula for electric cars will not work. They use power/weight ration, where with electric vehicles what makes them pokey is the lack of a torque curve, so torque/weight would have to be used. What would work, is to equip vehicles with a card reader, similar to a tachograph, and use that to control ECUs to limit acceleration rates, speeds etc. There is one thing I find to be quite a factor in novice drivers and collisions. Their switch from the FWD hatch to their first BMW. They will more than likely end up pointing the wrong way on roundabouts.

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.

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.

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

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'm a former driving instructor! And these are my proposals: Part 1: All lessons to be with a professional instructor, in a car under 100bhp, test same as current driving test. Part 2: May drive unaccompanied, but still under 100bhp, one passenger only, passenger not allowed to teach, no motorway driving, no night driving, P plates must be carried. Instruction equivalent to Pass Plus with instructor, test at the end. Part 3: Previous restrictions removed, but limited to 150bhp for first year, 200 for second. Any points on licence, back to start of Part 3. More than 3 points, back to start of Part 2. More than 6 points, back to start of Part 1.

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!

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.

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 live in Bradford, we have endless crashes with young people who have cash businesses renting lambo and crashing them. So yes, you have a point.

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.

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.

As a motorcyclist, the motorcycle test also have many flaws (at least here in Spain, which should be similar to UK): - There is nothing forcing you to actually ride a bike before getting your full motorcycle license, so you can get you A1, never drive anything with two wheels, get your A2, never drive anything, and then, with 0 real miles, take your "A" course and go a buy a S1000RR....... - Yes, an A2 license is restricted to 35KW, but there is no restriction whatsoever regarding torque, so for the license a Ninja 400 (that is very low on torque) is the the same as a F900R or a Ducati Supersport both which have tons of torque, even restricted) - Similar to the previous one, there is no limitation on weight, so you could drive a 160KG 300CC bike, but you can also drive drive a +240KG bulky adventure bike with that same license, while the 300CC is very easy to ride, a heavy bike is not, especially in urban environments

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.

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.

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.

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 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

totally correct. staged licences based on power output has a long track record on two wheels; it would be straightforward to introduce it on 4 wheels; EVs don't even need ECU changes, just software/app modes Living in a rural area it is scary how fast new cars are; particularly for non-vehicular road users

I FULLY AGREE >>> Cars vs Motorbikes, 17 year olds and the ridiculousness of the car tests, training AND LACK OF RESTRICTIONS... Since being a fully qualified ROSPA/DSA Motorcycle Training Instructor MANY years a go, I have seen Motorcycle licencing change time and time again to become MUCH MORE STRINGENT, but car driving NOT SO MUCH. With bikes... - You HAVE to undergo a CBT (Compulsory Basic Training), where you spend a few hours being educated about the safety, the dangers, the clothing, the controls and then basic riding of MCs (starting, stopping, manoeuvres, figure of 8s etc, then taken out on road for demonstrating you have sufficient basic riding/road/traffic skills). IF you show it, THEN, THIS ONLY gets you up to 2 years riding (which allows you to undergo the next step, or at 2 years, redo your CBT to continue riding), on a MAXIMUM 125cc with approx MAXIMUM 14 BHP, NO pillion/passengers and NO motorways WITH 'L' plates. THEN you can (age dependent) either: Take the next steps to get onto 'A' larger BUT STILL RESTRICTED BHP bike (like say an OFFICIALLY restricted 600/650cc bike) OR At age of 24 'Direct Access' that'll get you onto whatever bigger/unrestricted bikes you want/can afford. (Without getting into it all, it IS stepped, controlled and HELPS Motorcyclists BE BETTER/SAFER RIDERS). Cars? Yeah.... 😒, there is NOTHING 'Really' stopping a 17 year old, passing their Theory, then their Practical, and then... Jumping into a Civic Type R, Hyundai Type N, BMW, Audi, Merc, Skoda VRS or such like, and 'Tear arseing around' with 3 or 4 of their mates on board in what is a FAST SOLID LUMP OF STEEL at 120/130/140 MPH CAPABLE speeds and doing STUPID manoeuvres/overtakes/speeding... IT S H O U L D B E THE SAME AS THE MOTORCYCLE STEPPED SYSTEM. In that, FROM the ages of 17 THROUGH TO say 19, THEY MUST BE RESTRICTED IN CC AND/OR POWER of cars. AND THEN MAYBE AFTER 2 (or even 3) FULL YEARS of driving can they maybe take a SECOND tier to gain access to bigger CC/More powerful cars. A modern 1 Litre (VW UP/Citygo/Mii etc), or even say a Fiat Grande Punto 1.2, Fiesta 1.2/1.3 or that kind of CC/Power... IS EASILY ENOUGH TO GET OVER THE SPEED LIMIT!!! And EEEEEASILY ENOUGH power for a 17, 18, 19 year old... 125cc bikes CAN hit 75/80, my Punto 1.2 8v CAN do 90+ SO, WHY ALLOW a 17-21 year old access to a car that CAN do 0-60 in

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.

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 👍

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

I disagree - this happens in Australia and it’s a ridiculous outdated system. I have many friends under 21 with cars over 150bhp/tonne and nobody has crashed or been done for excessive speed, and they don’t drive irresponsibly. Dangerous drivers will be dangerous no matter what the car and I think that’s a big part of it, we’re all into cars so we sort of know what we’re doing and where the car’s limit is. Insurance is prohibitive enough under 21 and electric cars are particularly expensive for young drivers so I don’t think we need this system, at least not yet. I have thought about it before though, good video.

Deeside to Glenshee by any chance? Driving that road on Saturday in the opposite direction. Sadly I'll be in my V90 instead of an Aston, but it's a stunning driver's road that's just a joy to drive on

I agree, letting an 18 year old drive a 1000hp tesla plaid is probably not going to end well. I'm young (and stupid) i spent the last 4 years racing my mother's 75hp twingo in the mountains until she crashed it (how ironic). And i didn't really slow down until my father brought me on a trackday to drive some fast stuff (Audi R8, Porsche GT3 991.1, Ferrari 458). That trackday taught me some humility. But apparently not enough because i recently just ripped off the front bumper of my old father's car while drifting in the snow 😅 (it still runs&drive i'm a pro lol). I'd like to be a better "pilot" (i'm a delivery driver and my basic driving is more than fine) but it's crazy expensive... Drifting a shitbox in the snow didn't end very well last time, i'm not spending 1000's to take an ice driving course (remember i'm paid minimum wage). Elderly people are infuriating most of the time, but the most dangerous place for them (and me/others) is driving on on-ramps (trust me, going 15mph behind some old guy while lorries go past is not fun, especially with only 75hp !!!)

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?

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.

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

If you're looking at that level of car such as a Mustang, Tesla, Taycan etc., think if they could afford the car, they could probably afford the insurance. Regarding the driving licence idea though, I think that's bloody brilliant. You're absolutely spot on, motorcyclists these days have to jump through quite a few hoops to get a drive-anything licence and it should be the same for cars. In the US, Jaguar marketed their 5 litre XF with the line "not suitable for inexperienced drivers", or words to that effect, but beyond that. there is little or nothing beyond the price of insurance to prevent the carnage that occurs when younger drivers get behind the wheel of a powerful car. I also think there should be stuff like compulsory motorway training, maybe even a compulsory advanced driving test. At least give the IAM some money and publicity to get a few more drivers on board. Well worth doing, however good a driver you think you are.

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

In Sweden, you can start practice driving a car when you are 16 years old with a driver's license permit, at 17 years and 6 months you can start practice driving to get a car driver's license, but you cannot drive until you are 18 years old. With a B driving license you can drive passenger cars and light trucks up to 3500 kilos. As an 18-year-old, you can even drive a supercar with 1,000 horsepower. But car insurance is very expensive for young people between 18-30 years of age, then there is a price difference on the insurance for men and women, as women have lower costs for car insurance. Several studies over the years have shown that men are more often involved in traffic accidents than women, more men than women drive too fast and get fined, the same thing applies to a suspended driver's license for driving too fast, is much more common among men than women in Sweden.

I think you have raised a really valid point. Love the idea of the simple change to younger, less experienced drivers. I have always had an idea for the elderly, that when they hit 70, they should be made to take another driving test. Lets face it, the highway code has changed significantly since they first passed their test. I would like to see this test paid for by the government, as I believe its unfair to make them pay, however if they fail, then any additional testing costs would be paid for by themselves. I also believe that two, 1 hour refresher lessons should also be included in this test. Again, if they person wants any more, then they would be paying for this This way, only the competent person would be able to drive once they hit this age. It would be interesting to hear your thoughts.

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.

I do feel like for a lot of young people the car has been pushed as a bad thing. All you get now is "cars are bad, cars are bad" when talking about them due to "environmental concerns." While many people forget that even in towns and cities a car is far more reliable than public transport. I work in retail currently and honestly without my car I wouldn't be able to do half my shifts due to the logistics of getting to/from work due to public transport and shift timings. It's not even seen as trendy for companies now to support cars. I learned to drive at university and yet it felt like at every turn I was being punished for knowing how to operate and drive a car and owning one. As an example, I had to pay over £200/year for a non-guaranteed parking space at my university accommodation. In a car park that had 50 spots for over 1000 people living there. And then on top, if I wanted to park on campus to get to lectures I had to pay £100/year more. University is where many young people get their first taste of freedom, yet the bureaucracy of this felt like they were punishing people who decided to take hold of the new-found freedom by driving. It's not even like they were against fossil fuels because my university only had 5 EV charging stations on campus, and they were all clearly marked as staff only. It's not that my university didn't want students driving "polluting cars", they didn't want students driving cars at all and tried to price them out. I think car companies are partially to blame for this as well. Anything even remotely interesting has been killed off. There are very few fun, sporty new cars now that may actually attract young people to them. Like Jeremy Clarkson said, what young person is saying: "If I work really hard, maybe one day I can own a Renault Kadjar!". The simple fact of the matter is that by flooding the market with MPVs and SUVs it's making young people, who want to be seen as trendy and cool, not interested. Big SUVs aren't seen as cool and hence young people don't want to drive them. It's an image thing. However, I do also agree with you about the amount of power that modern EVs have becoming a problem. You have people who have probably only driven cars with, at most, 180-200bhp now getting into cars that even in their "non-sporty" form can quite comfortably deliver double that instantly. I do worry that it'll further contribute to the declining standards of driving we see on the roads now. Couple this new-found performance with the fact that most new drivers are taught to pass the test over driving safely and predictably by many driving instructors and I can see a lot of collisions occurring from people driving their new-found performance cars (That let's be honest, will most likely be a big, heavy SUV) that haven't really been given the training or have the confidence to drive them correctly and respect the power they have.

This government doesn’t surprise me, I have always been a car person and lived by the idea that 4 wheels are better than 2, even if just on a safety level, or weather protection etc, but I can appreciate that if everyone was on motorcycles instead of cars, as more often than not, people commute to work alone and instead of being alone in a 5-Seat, 1.5 tonne family hatch, you could be on a motorcycle weighing less than half of that, taking up much less road space; having lived in a city centre (Leeds) with my partner, it doesn’t take long for gridlocks to occur, yet if even half of those cars were replaced with bikes, the problem would be eradicated. Nor does it surprise me they would let people in HGVs with little to no experience as they can support the economy, but a bike is less revenue-generating, so it would be wise for the government to discourage people from it by making it more difficult to access

Exactly what happened to me. My first car given to me by my dat was a 950cc fiesta. At the time I was happy but know I know it was to stop me goining out and getting a 1.6 litter golf. My dad crippled my driving for 10yrs with a free used 3yr old underpowered car. Very cruel 😂🤣. But it tours me a valuable lesson. Because I did not have the power I was more conservative at junctions and roads. Top speed on that was-m/h but if I had passengers I would be lucky to get 60mph. But it was a free car and I used it at university to go to the library and back lat. it was a godsend for me and kept me sensible. That sensibility still hangs with me today. It’s should be a must for all young drivers.

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

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.