news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6180617.stm
So in a few years our UK Licences will be obsolete...
I'm confused. Where will this leave us?
Could this be the early stages of a compulsory retest every five or ten years?
Opinions? views?
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To prevent "driving licence tourism" a European licence database will be created.
Considering that the DVLA database holds records on people and vehicles, of which 20%+ of all entries have some sort of error I don't see a pan-European database of 300 million records being any better. IT Project + computers + Government involvement = Expensive + Unfit for purpose!
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What I don't understand is how someone with a UK licence is allowed to drive a right hand drive vehicle in a left hand drive country without any test as to their competence to do so. Similarly foreign drivers in left hand drive vehicles in the UK.
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L\'escargot.
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Its just driving,if you are competent it makes no difference.
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Its just driving,if you are competent it makes no difference.
Seeing to overtake in a wrong handed car is much more difficult and risky. Also quite a few people have accidents when they forget which side of the road they're supposed to be on. Driving on the correct side of the road in your own country is second nature and instinctive, but driving on the other side in a foreign country requires a lot of concentration.
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L\'escargot.
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>> Its just driving,if you are competent it makes no difference. >> Seeing to overtake in a wrong handed car is much more difficult and risky. Also quite a few people have accidents when they forget which side of the road they're supposed to be on. Driving on the correct side of the road in your own country is second nature and instinctive, but driving on the other side in a foreign country requires a lot of concentration. -- L\'escargot.
Have you ever driven on the Continent? It is no more risky than overtaking here, provided you have good rear mirrors and can see the road ahead clearly. The majority of my mileage is done in France, and it's a joy to drive over there: much less traffic on the road, good signposting, and better road surfaces. Indeed, it becomes second nature to drive "on the wrong side ofd the road."
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How would such a test be conducted? In UK with LHD cars on a special track and road system? Would people have to go to the continent to take such a test - how would they get there without driving their RHD car? Who would pay for all this. A non-starter I suggest!
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How would such a test be conducted? In UK with LHD cars on a special track and road system?
Can youu not see what's coming here? Harmonisation of driving position. Clearly, as the non-conforming country, we will need to change.
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Can youu not see what's coming here? Harmonisation of driving position. Clearly, as the non-conforming country, we will need to change.
You're having a laugh, every junction, traffic light, road sign, bollard, one way system etc would have to be changed. I'll bet you £100 it does'nt happen in my life time (I'm nearly forty)
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You're having a laugh, every junction, traffic light, road sign, bollard, one way system etc would have to be changed.
Other countries have changed successfully.
I'll bet you £100 it does'nt happen in my life time (I'm nearly forty)
Unless you die very prematurely, the £ will be gone long before the end of your lifetime.
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L\'escargot.
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Other countries have changed successfully.
In recent years? With the kind of traffic we currently have? The whole country would grind to a halt, just look what happens if we get unexpected snow, mile after mile of accidents and congestion.
It'll never happen, 1000 jelly babies says it wont happen in my lifer time
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Its just like a rebranding of the same thing isn't it, to bring all European countries in line with each other.
Look at the way our traditional V5/Log Book has changed over the last couple of years. We no longer have our traditonal document, we have a European spec one instead, that is presumably the same style as other European countries. Nothing significant changed, only the style of the paperwork and I would guess that this driving licence thing will be along the same lines.
Which does beg the question why did we go through the costly process of changing from the old paper licences, to the photocard/paper counterpart, if we are going to have to change again so soon? No doubt the extra cost of introducing these even newer photocard and microchipped driving licences will be passed onto the holder of it once again.
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Who would pay for all this. A non-starter I suggest!
I find myself yet again saying "Do not put facts in the way of my plan"
I heard on the radio this week that the 42% of drivers who still have old style UK paper licences will be forced to get a plastic one within a few years.
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currently UK cops almost always let off foreign drivers for most driving offences, too much hassle to take it up against someone on a foreign licence
with a Euro licence the UK cops will still routinely let off foreign drivers in this country, they wont want the hassle of translating etc
and of course the French and Belgium cops will still routinely hammer Brits more than their own drivers
anti British racism in its own way
and of course linked to a national ID card scheme, and the nhs IT sham programme every junior receptionist in every branch of govt is going to know your STD and speeding history
about time for a little real democracy i feel
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The change-over to driving on the right is being phased in gradually. Already an increasing proportion of people drive with one wheel over the centre line.
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The change-over to driving on the right is being phased in gradually. Already an increasing proportion of people drive with one wheel over the centre line.
The change over is more advanced where we live !!!!
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rustbucket (the original)
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I was stopped in France with a number of other drivers for a paperwork check(about 11.00 in the morning)but as soon as the policeman saw the UK plates he waved me back onto the road-couldn't be bothered to translate!I don't know if it still applies but there was no requirement in English law for cars to be right or left hand drive-in fact the only mention was for commercial vehicles towing more than one trailer to have a person in the left hand seat of the driver's cab(presumably so that the second(and third)trailers did not collect pedestrians):this could be complied with by a passenger or by a LHD tractor unit(easy done);many were ex-US army.
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>every junior receptionist in every branch of govt is going to know your STD and speeding history<
and you can know hers as well!
:-) :-
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pmh (was peter)
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Whole thing looks like a re-branding exercise.
Photolicences have be renewed every 10 years anyway. I reckon they'll keep national registries and just link them, As pointed out the V5 has been rebranded - but its basically the same document...
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