Sovereign

That kid really played me too. He had told me during negotiations that he was 18 and completed the MSF. It wasn't until he had flown in from Sacramento and I asked for his license that I found out that he was a few weeks shy of 18 and didn't even have an M1. As much as the situation bothered me, I did do almost the same thing when I bought my first car, so I can sympathize. However, I didn't lie to the seller about my age or credentials.

av8r-92

If you fail the driving test more than once, that's when more training should be required. My one friend failed three times. Every time I get into the car with him driving (the few times I have let him drive), I've had to scream at him; he scares the living shit out of me. My other friends all say the same thing.

It's not that he drives fast, it's that he has no idea what's going on around him and that he still, after five or six years of driving, doesn't really know what he's doing.

Every two years, people should have to retake the driving test. Pilots need to do a Biennial Flight Review every two years; mine's due at the end of next month. Considering the number of people who are killed or injured in/by cars, it needs to be done with driving.

With the BFR, unless you're completely incompetent, you'll pass it. Its purpose is more to make you realize you're deficient in certain areas and that you need more training. Cagers have become so complacent that they don't even know they're doing anything wrong. In 1981, a survey was conducted where 93% of these assholes thought they were above-average drivers. What do you think it would be now with the whole "me-first" attitude, even with cell phones?

-Will

__________________
KEEP CALM AND CHIVE ON
"Trust me; I'm a pilot."

ShinobiJeh

I think the EU approach is a step in the right direction.

I don't necessarily think it should be exactly like that, but having some sort of tiered license would probably be better than what is in place now in CA.

A few guys that were in my MSF class passed the class when they are dangerous drivers. I would not even want to ride off-road with them. I think the licensing requirements should be more strict. Having to complete a certain number of miles 10,000 or 2 years without accident before purchasing a 4-cylinder or 2-cylinder above 700cc.

Also I think part of the problem is the clientele that motorcycles attract. You have the bro squids that get a SS just for stunting on the streets and the HD bar hoppers. A lot of these people don't have the best judgement and/or morals. Some HD guys put on their costumes and pretend they are badasses and invincible, and that just makes me laugh mostly.

But also many accidents involve riders who are not even licensed at all, maybe there should be stiffer penalties for operating without a license or massive fines, I do not know.

ninja500hs

It might be interesting for you to know, that e.g. German exchange students, who get their drivers license in the US, have to retest when they go back to Germany, in order to get an unrestricted license for a car...when they are 18 years old...
Germany generally instructs and tests on standard transmission cars, and the skills test involve a lot more than just running twice around the DMV parking lot.
To give you an idea: Launch uphill, with or without the use of the park brake, is only one thing they have to master....
Besides, regardless of age, beginners are retested if they get tickets within the first 2 years of driving. I've got one of those in the family, and the numerous fixed radar cameras around town give him a real headache right now...

IMO: Better instruction requirements in the first place, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and WAY higher fines should weed out most of ther offenders..... Frequent retesting of everybody seems a waste of time, let's just retest the offenders....

Sovereign

The EU method would be awesome, but I doubt the manufacturers would be pleased with having the US market regulated in such a manner. Manufacturers sponsor our training programs and its bad enough that their standards are pretty low.

williamr

You need some sort of tiered licensing, but tailored for local conditions. More important is a national standard for training and testing for consistency, and the separation of training and testing.

Manufacturers may sponsor training, but htey don't care how it'sregulated.

It's pointless having any kind of licensing system that isn't enforced. Confiscation of the bike as well as fines and licence suspension is pretty effective deterrent widely used in the EU for repeat offenders, and for drivers without mandatoy liability insurance.

Rob