i passed my car test in 1980 so i dont know about the difference really but i have just done my theory test and mod 1 test for a bike (i should have done it in the 80s but got distracted ) anyway i used to ride bikes offroad and on but stopped when i had a family as you cant get 3 kids and a missus on a bike exept in india or indonesia etc
the test off road mod 1 changed the day i did it so it gave me a little more leeway 2kmh to be precise on the swerve test and 2 less cones to hit.
i passed but i dont think its the way to go, its unnatural to accelerate toward a metal fence in order to acheive the speed and also it was very windy when i took it i had to ease of on the first pass because i was hit by a strong side gust (should allow for weather conditions) i wanted to pass yes but i wasnt going to compromise my safety or dropping MY bike (some people may push the schools bike a bit further cos they dont own it )
but for an inexperienced rider it must be very nerve racking ( i wasnt over chuffed myself lol )and also if they are concentrating on attaining the speed for the trap they may push beyond the capability for control. i would not accelerate out of a bend like that in those conditions under normal road driving riding.
all this was on a 125cc cruiser which is not the best bike for weaving through cones and leaning on a bend lol
the point is i decided to do it on my own bike without lessons at 120 quid a day and i did it on the A2 standard so i will have a 2 year restriction before being able to get a hayabusa or whatever i decided to restrict myself because i am mostly used to bikes 250 and under offroad and dont want to throw myself in to something i may just wind on for the hell of it ha i censored myself because i am sensible and percieve my own limitations, some people do some people dont.
i think the answer is to do lessons in high school from 14 to 16 learn the highway code get educated on the physics of driving and sit a gcse or moduled nvq then for the last year teach from roadcraft or similar
education is the key.
and the plus benifit is that ALL drivers will have equal opportunity to learn and it will not be restricted to those that can afford to have lessons etc
damn make them do the theory test as they leave and run a speed awareness course
let the government fund the education while they are young instead of raking it in with alsorts of hoops when its too late to benifit them and us all,
a bit radical im sure but if the government are serious about cutting down road deaths accidents etc then put their money where their mouth is ( or should i say our money where their mouth is
i would certainly be happy if that is where my tax went.
most of the young drivers that have accidents are under educated in traffic systems and simple vehicle physics and
that goes for the older ones too
the other thing is after first passing their test be restricted to a car of 1000cc or under (most are because of insurance anyway )
within a year of driving i bought a 1973 pontiac firebird formula 400 ( i worked in the motor trade and it was a bargain all dented but mechanically sound with a quick shift gearbox and other racing bits like headers or whatever
i repainted it and sold it for a large profit i would have kept it but before i painted it i tried a smokey burnout to to impress some girlies like you do at 19 didnt impress them they poo' d lol and er so did i to be honest (when i saw the fuel gauge go down so quickly) it was the most frightening 20 yrds of my life lol seriously though i almost went through the chippy window when the tires got hot and a sudden good purchase thrust me forward in a sideways fashion ...seriously stupid and that was the end of my street racing carreer.
im not saying i havent driven fast since or took chances but as they say save it for the track or if you cant afford it the playstation lol