.the car test is so outdated, theory not competence biased, as to be verging on the ridiculous.

In what way is a driving assessment, over a period of time, in whatever traffic situations arise, at that time, outdated?

I think it is forgotten that the cat B test is a basic assessment of competence.

Insuring that all novice drivers are at least starting out their driving lives from a common baseline of expertise

I seriously doubt that many of those who contribute on this forum would actually meet the required standards of a driving test, today. Regardless of how many years they have 'held' their licence...or how many miles they cover each year. [I prefer to use 'time behind the wheel' rather than 'mileage' to place a value on experience.]

In the above..before the outrage appears...consider the sheer number of 'driving faults' you each display,every time you get behind a steering wheel, or handlebars?

What is forgetten with regards to training, and assessment of competence..is despite the candidate meeting the required standards on the day, it is then up to that individual to maintain, and improve, on the standards attained.

This, most do not do, in any way, shape or form....and not just with driving, either.

Which is why we get doctors, airplane pilots, ships' officers, lawyers, plumbers, et al, getting it wrong all too frrequently.

What is lacking...amongst those who 'think' they are so-called 'good' drivers is..tolerance of others. Tolerance of varying degrees of skill & awareness.

If anybody seriously thinks things need changing...and have sound ideas..go and join the Driving Standards Agency..where the ideas can be put to good use.

As for 'compensation' for lost time?

The people who should be sued for compensation in those circumstances, are those who are involved, or have been deemed to have been responsible, for the incident.

Not the Agencies who are merely involved with clearing up the mess.

Or..should we have, on the M25, a fleet of bulldozers ready to leap into action at the first mishap, and bulldoze the wreckage, and gore, off the motorway..so's all you kind folk can get to your interviews on time?

Snotmifault is an excuse I for one don't swallow.

Any motorway victim is somebody's loved one, each and every one deserves to have the circumstances of their untimely death or massive life changing injuries investigated fully, not a 5 minute job.

Of course, but I think the balance between the essentials of dealing with the injured, investigating possible causes, and reopening the road to traffic has tipped away from the uninvolved public. The police seem much keener to simply close a road - presumably hoping that will save time in the end - than to manage the situation on the spot, as it were, without disrupting traffic. [ I think the French have done this for longer than we have ]. I don't agree that the needs of those involved take precedence over the rest of us without limit.

The balance seems to have shifted too far in favour of officials, who sometimes appear to overexploit their authority.

M62 closed from 6 am for 11 hours yesterday due to a truck overturning, 2 fatalities in the car it fell onto.

Result, chaos over much of West Yorkshire, some motorists stuck for 7 hours.

Police investigation reportedly complete at 2 pm, then removed vehicles, then inspcted carriageway, finally opened at 5 pm.

A number of police forces have laser scene recording gadgets, I believe, which are claimed to save time in measuring/photographing scenes, I don't know if WY have such devices.

Accident: an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents.

Collision: the act of colliding

I've always used the term RTA. The fashionable useage is RTC. To be different. The explanation for accident is self explanatary, and more pertenant. So there is such a thing. Unless it's intentional which the hundreds of RTAs I've attended haven't been.

Delays to travel on the railways result in crippling fines, in the hope that they may be contained. I don't see why the road system is different in principle?

The railway system is governed by complex contracts between Network Rail and the various passenger and freight train companies operating over particular sections of track.

If a London Midland train fails on the down fast line at 17:30 it's going to hold up a whole string of Virgin trains behind.

If however its a suicide or a tresspasser everything stops on all our lines but no penalties ensue.

That seems the nearest analogy to RTA/C.