TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION
We all like to think that we are good drivers, but recent research suggests that many people over- estimate their abilities. Online motor retail specialist BuyaCar.co.uk asked more than 1000 motorists how they would rank their own driving skills in comparison with other people, and it turns out that about two thirds of us either believe we are ‘among the best’ drivers or ‘better than most,’ while only a quarter see ourselves as ‘average.’ Meanwhile, a measly seven per cent of motorists admit that there is ‘room for improvement’ in their driving.
In the case of BuyaCar.co.uk’s findings it also seems that the older we get, the more generous we are in assessing our own competence. Drivers up to the age of 34 were most likely to admit to ‘room for improvement’ or even – in a handful of cases – that ‘I’m a bad driver.’ In contrast, people aged 34 to 55 were most likely to describe themselves as ‘among the best,’ and in this group nobody at all was willing to identify as a bad driver.
Young drivers are particularly vulnerable, and consequently they are often hit with the highest insurance premiums. This does mean tarring all new drivers with the same brush, but it is hard to argue with the statistics upon which insurers base their rates. For example, research from the RAC Foundation showed that one in five young drivers will have a crash within the first six months of driving, while road safety charity Brake found that a quarter of 18-24 year olds will crash within two years of passing their driving test.
Over confidence and a lack of experience must be considered major factors in these high accident rates, but the training new drivers receive is also crucial. To illustrate this, the MoneySuperMarket research found that over half of drivers did not pass their test first time, and those who took more attempts to pass went on to have more accidents.
That should not come as a major surprise; after all, not everybody has the same natural aptitude for driving as we do(!). Yet perhaps new drivers are not being taught in the best way. Another piece of research, this time by insurance company LV=, found that over half (53 per cent) of newly qualified drivers say the current hazard perception test is out of date and is in need of modernisation.
The hazard perception test was introduced in 2002, and since then the content has not been updated and new drivers felt that a number of ‘modern’ risks weren’t included. These include potholes (reported by 41 per cent), pedestrians on mobile phones (reported by 33 per cent), children on scooters and even vape clouds from vehicle windows.
As a result, one in six (16 per cent) of new drivers say they find it difficult to spot these ‘modern’ hazards, and nearly half (47 per cent) say the hazard perception test didn’t prepare them for life on the road. Curiously though, MoneySuperMarket also found that although the majority of Brits think driver safety could be improved, 63 per cent would not take out a Pass Plus qualification, despite this being designed to help drivers improve their skills and drive more safely.