Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18?

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Mon 12 May 2003 16:02
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Dave E
My daughter, soon to be 17 and champing at the bit regarding driving, rang me at work to say that a number of friends have declared the learner age is to be raised to 18. I told her it was most definitely a wind up and I checked the DVLA website and it confirms that there has been no change.

Although I have to say the information was not that easy to find nor that clear.

It begs the question, considering the Government (anti) car policy, would they and could they get away with?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 12 May 2003 16:04
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - DavidHM
That wind up has been going on for as long as I can remember, terrifying everyone with summer birthdays. The fact is, it's extremely unlikely to happen unless the accident rate of 18 year olds fell to massively below that of 17 year olds - think of all the suddenly unemployed driving instructors there would be!

And what could they get away with? Living 200m outside the South Circular, I reckon extending the congestion charging zone to the A205/A406 will be next.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 12 May 2003 16:22
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Dwight Van Driver
Maybe she is into heavy goods vehicles and road rollers?

www.tinyurl.com/bk4w

DVD
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 12 May 2003 20:41
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Tom Shaw
As DavidHM says, this rumour has been surfacing for years. I have lost count of the anxious enquiries I have received on this, and as one of the 28000 driving instructors who would immeddiatly go bankrupt should this happen I am happy to report that it is utter tosh.

For the moment, anyway....
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 12 May 2003 21:49
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Morris Ox
And what about the other hoary old myth, Tom: 'Well I failed, but someone told me they have a quota, so I was bound to'
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Mon 12 May 2003 22:12
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Tom Shaw
The best of the regular excuses is "I failed because someone pulled out in front of me"

Er, shouldn't that be because you didn't do anything about it?....
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 13 May 2003 13:54
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - pdc {P}
How would you go bankrupt? Surely it would just be a lean year in the first year of the change?
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 13 May 2003 15:00
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Galaxy
This story takes me back getting on for 40 years when there was a great deal of talk about the minimum age for riding a moped being reduced from 16 to 15, or even 14. I think it was this age in France.

A few unconventional moped type vehicles were even introduced, and it was widely rumoured that these were going to be approved to comply with newly introduced legislation. I remember one of these was the Raleigh Wisp.

I was about 12 at the time and, like many of my peers, couldn't wait to be able to legally take to the roads on some form of personal powered transport.

Needless to say no change was ever made!
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Tue 13 May 2003 22:47
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - Tom Shaw
Try reducing your income by 70% for twelve months and you will see what I mean. Seventeen year olds are the staple diet in this business.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 14 May 2003 08:46
Driving Licence ~ Minimum age to be 18? - pdc {P}
Well I've just experienced a 50% reduction for the past year due to being an IT contractor and the rates are appalling now :-(
Reply | Report as offensive | Link