Phil’s Diary - [Blog @ http://www.philsdiary.net/]
They’ve gone and changed the UK driving test to include some extra stuff. Part of this new stuff is familiarity with the workings of your car. Some example questions are included here. Obviously the site linked to would be a bit tricky if you’re unfamiliar with the car.
However, I think even this is a bit daft. It’s fair enough making better and safer drivers, but what are we doing testing people know how to maintain their car? I could understand if all the elements were safety related, after all that would make cars a little safer. But they’re not. Of the first 6 questions on that link, only one (windscreen wiper fluid) is loosely a safety issue. The rest would just cause inconvenience and cost if ignored.
So why not waste a little less time and test that people know where to look for information. As an example, it’s important that people know what road signs mean, that’s not something you’d want people looking up. However driving off thinking (I really should check the oil level, I’ll look it up when I get back) isn’t really going to cause many safety issues.
So rather than test something which will change the next time they buy a car (and which they probably won’t bother to re-learn), why don’t they teach ‘em how and where to look to look it up, which they will be able to use in the next car.
Taken too far me thinks.
And while we’re on the mini-rant. This chap who risked his and other’s lives at the British GP a few weeks ago should be locked up.
The chap recklessly put his and others lives at risk, and then goes ahead “insisting he has no regrets over his actions“. Now I know some of you are religious and that’s fair enough, but this is going too far in my opinion. When someone comes out with comments like “I felt the moment I stepped on to the course there was an unseen hand that gave me power. That unseen hand was God.“, “Not for one moment did I think I would die. I do believe that it saved the drivers as well because I would simply hate a driver to be injured or even killed. “, I really think someone should consider sticking him in a mental home. To risk lives and then justify it based on something like that is just not on.
Posted by Phil on September 01, 2003 06:45 PM | Categories: Work