"In three years time drivers with a clean record will have as many as 15 points on their licence [Spanish system works in reverse to UK - you start with 12 points, and deductions made for an offence]
The DGT traffic authority in Spain is to hand out 40 million extra licence points to some 21 million good drivers from next month. Those with a clean record since the points system was introduced [in 2006] will get two extra points, taking them to 14, and if they continue for another three years they will get an extra point to reach 15"
Good idea? Provides an incentive? Adaptable to UK?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 02/06/2009 at 14:42
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We have long since come to learn in this country that as far as carrot and stick go, our govt's have all ways favoured the stick, with never a carrot in sight.
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If I understand the idea correctly, a good driver in Spain can build up lots of extra points that can then be used in an orgy of speeding, charging through red lights, running over policemen and so on.
I think it's a superb idea. Just what we need here.
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I wonder if you can eBay spare points? :-)
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I wonder if you can eBay spare points? :-)
no but in the final round you get to bet all your points on the star prize
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There's also an interesting little industry here in Spain of people "selling" their points to drivers about to lose their licence. Housewives who never drive, the housebound, retired folk, all sorts of people advertise by word of mouth and on Internet forums, offering to cop for the points and no questions asked. Four figure sums have been known to change hands!
The moment the form arrives demanding to know who was driving at the time of the flash from the Gatso, the money grabber admits to it and offers up their licence for the points to be deducted. The points are never printed on the licence itself; only the police and courts have access to data.
Human ingenuity and ruthlessness yet again have no bounds!
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The Spanish system would struggle here, though, as the points-taker wouldn't show as being insured on that car at that time, and might struggle to prove they were driving on their own insurance cover.
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Ah, onb, you're obviously a nice bloke who has no idea of the depths to which people will sink to keep their licences.
If I were a Spanish hooligan with only 2 or 3 points left on my licence, I'd hire a couple of these blameless grannies and put them on the insurance for a few euros then, when the time came, they could take the hit for me.
Hasta la vista!
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Wasn't there a thread on a similar proposal a long time ago? I seem to remember suggesting it could be applied to criminality generally - save up lots of Brownie points as an insurance against getting caught for burglary.
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Perhaps if each bonus point was worth, for example, £100 there would be an incentive to build up points which could then be cashed in or provide for a free MOT or free VED, paid for by those who lose points due to motoring offences.
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Could someone explain the arithmetic of this system to me? What difference is there between starting off with 15 positive points and having a deduction made for each offence, to having no points to start off with and then adding points for each offence. It's just arithmetical juggling. It's a bit like guests on the television programme QI being awarded a negative score.
No pun intended, but I don't see the point of the system.
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The point is that you could save up bonus points IN ADVANCE of committing any offence. That totally alters the perceived message on deterance, punishment, incentive to good driving.
It finally removes any suggestion that contravening motoring regulations is in any way "wrong", and turns it into just a game of juggling plus and minus points.
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Rewarding by getting points for doing what you should be doing then....
No, I don't think its a good idea... because, as some have already said, it allows the individual to think that because they've gained an extra few points they then have the "right" to break the law to use them up...
Silly idea.
(And as per several answers on the drink drive thread, if you do do something illegal over here that lands you in court then the court can take into account previous good record... so we already have it, but in a different, and I'd suggest, better form).
Edited by b308 on 03/06/2009 at 09:55
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Well, I think it's a great idea! I can build up a shed load of points then go and get ratted down at the 'Old Cannon', drive home and Mrs W won't have the bother of picking me up.
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