Plans to offer practical driving tests from branches of Halfords have been given the go ahead by Road Safety Minister Stephen Hammond.
Driving tests will be available from the Halfords store in Wellingborough from Tuesday 5th February.
Other branches of Halfords across the country are expected to start offering tests in coming months. All tests will be conducted by Driving Standards Agency (DSA) examiners.
The move is part of an initiative to offer a more local service for driving test candidates. As well as using conventional test centres, DSA is working with public and private sector partners to provide driving tests in areas that don’t have a local test centre.
This is a good idea. Perhaps they could also do Motorcycle Mod2 tests.
In fact, let’s reform the whole thing. Here’s my idea:
To start riding, you must do a CBT and a Mod1 test. These are done at existing test centres. Following this you can provisionally ride up to 125cc as with CBT today.
To complete the license, you have to do a Mod2. This can be done at your local Halfords, where you can buy stuff after you pass.
Perhaps we’d lose some of the idiots on small bikes, and keep the ones that actually want to learn to ride
I must have a little chat to my step dad about this, as he’s a driving test examiner.
It would be great to see a change to a bike licence based on power alone.
Year 1 (17 and up) 12bhp
Year 2 - 33bhp
Year 3 - 65bhp
Year 4 - 100bhp
Year 5 - Unlimited
No way to shortcut the system (other than illegal mods).
No age restrictions.
Great for the bike trade.
Great for the riders, as they’ll have to really learn to use what they have
Better, more experienced riders on the road, with hopefully, less accidents and deaths
If that had been the route into it I wouldn’t have bothered as it would take far to long to get to the bike that fullfils my needs (practical as opposed to emotional, if you know what I mean) and I’m a big believer that it isn’t about the power, it’s about your willingness to abuse it. If I was back on a 33bhp bike I would be thrashing the hell out of it and getting it far too close to its limits as my confidence grew.
It doesn’t matter about power, attitude and training are far more important. some of that requires a level of maturity beyond adolescents so I do agree with age based restrictions.
Am I safer riding a 115bhp bike well below its limits and giving it plenty of respect or riding a 33bhp bike at or beyond its limits and getting grumpy and frustrated in the process?
So with all this 3rd Directive test regime having kicked in a few days ago, will it actually result in fewer accidents amongst younger riders, and if it does, will the EU be using the evidence to introduce a staggered testing system for car drivers?
16 years old - can drive the Aixam Coupe S as at present with a CBT;
17-19 years old - pass an updated ‘C1’ test and get a beige 1.0 Nissan Micra with piss stains on the seats;
20-23 years old - pass a ‘C2’ test and get a 1.4 Corsa Sport with sports exhaust and a ‘love gun’ logo on the rear window;
24+ Years old - Direct Access and get whatever you want.
Anyone accumulating more than 6 points on their licence is relegated to one of the lower licence leagues again for 1 year.
This whole restricted licence thing is a joke - just do a test for set BHP/CC ratings i.e. 125 CBT/Test, upto 400CC/50ish BHP, upto 600CC/120BHP, upto 750CC/150BHP, 1000CC & over/over 150BHP then introduce a cooling off period of say 2/3months before being able to do the next one and make the test relevant to the CC/BHP - also maybe part of the higher CC/BHP test could involve some track experience like the haslam/california race school to learn about the bikes/power/handling - that way in the space of a year or so people can buy any bike they want just like a 17 year old rich kid can get brought/buy an Enzo/lambo/etc… who will have exactly NO experiance without an instructor or duel control!!! it may cost a bit more overall but you will be licenced after the first test and only restricted to the amount of tests you want/can afford to do… Simples!
