Learners on motorways

[mik]

About time, although still some way to go as motorways arent yet part of the test. Shame it is restricted to certified instructors, but with the way most of the public drives - possibly a good call.

[GG.]

I think 'possibly' is as far as I'd go. The discretion is with a driver instructor as to when said learner is capable - let's hope its exercised with due caution as someone with insufficient driving hours under their belt on a congested motorway would be far from ideal

Possibly a better way would be for your to pass your test, then a mandatory say 2 additional hours specific motorway tuition, then they issue you with your full licence?

[Beany]

I think 'possibly' is as far as I'd go. The discretion is with a driver instructor as to when said learner is capable - let's hope its exercised with due caution as someone with insufficient driving hours under their belt on a congested motorway would be far from ideal

Possibly a better way would be for your to pass your test, then a mandatory say 2 additional hours specific motorway tuition, then they issue you with your full licence?

Problem is there are plenty of places in the UK that are several hours from even a dual carriageway, never mind a motorway.

That's always been part of the problem.

[GG.]

You mean those areas have the horseless carriage now?! Colour me stupid.

[Mr Pish]

I always found this law strange although understandable as remote areas do not have access to mways

I was frequently taken onto the A2 by instructor a million+ years ago. Between the M25 and London its 3 lanes wide and as busy and lunatic as any M Way

[GG.]

I guess by extension of the same logic, dual carriageway driving can't be a mandatory part of the driving test either as some remote areas will struggle with even that (here for example https://www.bookingdirect.org.uk/testce ... _view/i/31).

[integrale_evo]

I didn't have to use a dual carriageway as part of my test in Norwich 20 years ago. I did use them several times with my instructor, but the nearest actual three lane motorway is at stanstead which is at least an hour away.

Really though a motorway isn't much worse than any other multi lane road where you have to show that you're paying attention to what is around you before you move. As a learner I could have been taught on a 70mph limit three lane bit of the a14 just before Cambridge, but not on the two lane 70mph limit bit of the M11 between the a11 south of Cambridge and stanstead.

[Simon]

Generally a positive move. I like the way that they've restricted it to 'approved' driving instructors too, so Mrs Miggins can't teach her offspring that the middle-lane limit is 70mph, left is 60mph and right is 80mph etc.

The only tweak I'd have made is to continue to prohibit them from 6AM-9AM and 4PM-7PM on weekdays. I'm not sure learners are best suited to the cut-and-thrust of rush hour motorway traffic.

[Mito Man]

Never understood why learner drivers weren’t allowed on motorways. Motorways are easier to drive on than dual carriageways. Long slip roads to enter and exit, all traffic generally doing the same speed, wider lanes.

Compare this to dual carriageways where the speed limit is also often 70 but you have bus stops, tractors, old people driving at half the speed limit, no or very short slip roads which are pretty dangerous in an underpowered car etc

[Beany]

I guess by extension of the same logic, dual carriageway driving can't be a mandatory part of the driving test either as some remote areas will struggle with even that (here for example https://www.bookingdirect.org.uk/testce ... _view/i/31).

Yes. I think the nearest dual carriageway from Thurso and Wick (far north of scotland) is a solid 90mins away - it's just not practical for it to be mandatory for a practical driving lesson for many areas.

Motorway driving being optional (and ideally, encouraged) is a good thing though - it's just a dual carriageway with an extra lane and some slightly different conventions (hard shoulders, some 'smart' sections with variable lanes/limits etc) after all, but people seem to think that they're somehow magical and strange and scary.

Genuinely never understood that, unless I'm missing something?

[GG.]

I think you and Mito are discounting several relevant factors though - one is that three lane motorways have potentially traffic coming at you from two directions if you're in the middle lane, which is harder to manage as a novice driver and additionally speeds are generally significantly higher.

Not many people drive at 95 on a dual carriageway for example but that's not abnormal for m-ways so your reaction times need to shorten appropriately in relation to other drivers. Sticking to the speed limit on motorways is also likely to mean you effectively being more of a rolling road block than on dual carriageways as you'll need to pull out to overtake HGVs but may still be moving slower than lane 2 on a busy fast moving motorway.

Plus 1.2l learner shitboxes are inherently unsuited to motorway driving. How do you think a driving instructor would react to you dropping it to 4th and revving the nuts off it to pull into lane 2/3 for example?

[NotoriousREV]

My first driving lesson started on a 30mph dual carriageway. That’s why I’m such an awesome driver now.

[nuttinnew]

I was frequently taken onto the A2 by instructor a million+ years ago. Between the M25 and London its 3 lanes wide and as busy and lunatic as any M Way

That area has an excellent training ground but using it you wouldn't think so, even allowing for people staying out of the inside lane because of the potholes.

Regardless of where you are in the country, and whether or not you have access to a dual carriageway, more/better training is needed with regard to joining a road. As Mito said, A roads will have short or non existant slip roads, and the skills learnt there will apply to motorways when the driver gets to use one.