What's a SatNav ?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driv ... ember-2017" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Biggest relief of my test was when I was asked to perform a ‘turn in the road.’ I was dreading having to do parallel parking. Glad they hadn’t taken it out back then.

conyoviejo wrote:What's a SatNav ?

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driv ... ember-2017" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

what's a Driving Test?

When is it going to include "Liking" a Facebook post, applying make-up, opening a Ginster's pasty with your teeth and advanced road-rage?

Bass levels? Sub woofer?

An unbelievable extract from that link, relating to the new Satnav rules :-

"You’ll be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where you’re going if you’re not sure. It won’t matter if you go the wrong way unless you make a fault while doing it.

One in 5 driving tests won’t use a sat nav. You’ll need to follow traffic signs instead."

What is the bloody point ?

If you go the wrong way sat nav recalculates route. Hardly a big deal.
The following signs section has been in the test for several years.

What constitutes a minor, serious or dangerous fault is not changing when the new test comes in.

burnmark wrote:Biggest relief of my test was when I was asked to perform a ‘turn in the road.’ I was dreading having to do parallel parking. Glad they hadn’t taken it out back then.

Not an XX driver by any chance?

Funkydrummer wrote:An unbelievable extract from that link, relating to the new Satnav rules :-

"You’ll be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where you’re going if you’re not sure. It won’t matter if you go the wrong way unless you make a fault while doing it.

One in 5 driving tests won’t use a sat nav. You’ll need to follow traffic signs instead."

What is the bloody point ?

It was always the case that you wouldn't fail for going the wrong way as long as you didn't make a fault while doing it, don't see why it makes a difference whether the instruction was from a sat nav or a person.

Most drivers use sat navs nowadays so it's safe to say that newly qualified drivers will also. It makes sense therefore to ensure they receive practical guidance from their instructors to follow the sat nav while still maintaining a safe driving system. It is updating the driving test for the modern era which can only be a good thing.
The fact that going off course during the test whilst following sat nav guidance will not incur any penalties is very sensible. How many experienced drivers can say they have never done it?

I think including sat navs in tests as well as the forthcoming motorway sections are vital for increasing road safety and competance. Sat navs distract and I'd like to know that qualified drivers have had good experience in dealing efficiently and safely with such a distraction. As for motorways, its about time.

Will driverless cars have to take the test..

Will they be programmed to give people the finger and shout w@nker..

Part of the test is to ensure that you can drive and navigate using a satnav -
going the wrong way demonstrates you can't and therefore should fail IMO.
Otherwise what's the point of testing people ?

As far as I'm aware, navigation is not a specific element of the current test.

Also, this doesn't help the millions of drivers who have had to adapt to these
inventions over the years.

If you're going to test people on something, don't condone failure.

Funkydrummer wrote:Part of the test is to ensure that you can drive and navigate using a satnav -
going the wrong way demonstrates you can't and therefore should fail IMO.

I believe the intent is to demonstrate that you can drive safely while using a sat nav, not that you can follow a sat nav without missing a turning.

It's always been the case that you are given directions and it's always been the case that you aren't penalised for taking a wrong turn as long as you don't commit a fault.

DELETED can't be arsed.

Funkydrummer wrote:An unbelievable extract from that link, relating to the new Satnav rules :-

"You’ll be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where you’re going if you’re not sure. It won’t matter if you go the wrong way unless you make a fault while doing it.

I was about to quote the same part, until I saw your reply.

If you aren't penalised for taking the wrong route, then doesn't that mean you could just go where you like? Drive to a quiet area where there's little traffic and ignore the sat nav.

conyoviejo wrote:Will driverless cars have to take the test..

Will they be programmed to give people the finger and shout w@nker..

This is a fair point - there should be some kind of 3rd party testing done on the inevitable influx of driverless cars. Obviously some manufacturers will do a better job of it than others. Will BMW and Audi made their cars more aggressive than say Honda. Will Land Rover and Range Rovers be programmed to automatically seek out disabled and parent/toddler parking spaces.......

Sutton-Claret wrote:This is a fair point - there should be some kind of 3rd party testing done on the inevitable influx of driverless cars. Obviously some manufacturers will do a better job of it than others. Will BMW and Audi made their cars more aggressive than say Honda. Will Land Rover and Range Rovers be programmed to automatically seek out disabled and parent/toddler parking spaces.......

Audis will be programmed to use only the rightmost lane.

deanothedino wrote:Audis will be programmed to use only the rightmost lane.

If that's the case , what about White Vans ..

conyoviejo wrote:If that's the case , what about White Vans ..

Programmed to swerve into the right most lane as late as possible without hitting you.

HGVs will be programmed to overtake each other on every stretch of two lane, uphill road.

deanothedino wrote:Programmed to swerve into the right most lane as late as possible without hitting you.

Or stay in the middle lane for the entirety of it's journey.

FactualFrank wrote:I was about to quote the same part, until I saw your reply.

If you aren't penalised for taking the wrong route, then doesn't that mean you could just go where you like? Drive to a quiet area where there's little traffic and ignore the sat nav.

A friend of mine failed his test a few years back as he was driving down a road and was asked to "turn right" at the end of it. He put his left indicator on and the instructor then told him again "turn right at the end", so he changed his indicator to right and turned left anyway.

He failed as this was a dangerous move for anybody around him - but he was told that if he kept the left indicator on and turned left instead of right as the instructor said then he would have been fine, as that would not be dangerous, just a little annoying for the instructor.

Funkydrummer wrote:Part of the test is to ensure that you can drive and navigate using a satnav -
going the wrong way demonstrates you can't and therefore should fail IMO.
Otherwise what's the point of testing people ?

As far as I'm aware, navigation is not a specific element of the current test.

Also, this doesn't help the millions of drivers who have had to adapt to these
inventions over the years.

If you're going to test people on something, don't condone failure.

They’re not taking a taxi drivers test. The purpose of a driving test is to test a person’s competency and safety, not whether they can get to a destination efficiently.

There will be no driverless version of the Audi. Audis were designed long ago not to start until there was a dickhead at the wheel and the Company sees no reason to move out of its preferred market.

"The purpose of a driving test is to test a person’s competency and safety, not whether they can get to a destination efficiently."

OK, so why are they testing their driving skills whilst using a Satnav, the sole purpose of which is to
provide directions to a chosen destination ?

They may as well ask them to read a ladybird book that's propped up the dashboard.

Sometimes people take wrong turns when using sat navs. It's no big deal. If you go the wrong way the sat nav recalculates and you may get to your destination slightly later. It's not serious.
Sat navs are part of modern driving. That's why they are using them on tests. So the examiner just keeps quiet while the sat nav provides directions.
In the current test it's not an automatic fail if you go the wrong way. Nerves can make you make mistakes but if you still execute your chosen route safely what's the big deal?
As with the old test if you commit a serious or dangerous fault you will fail. Hardly rocket science Funkydrummer. Even my pupils understand it.

We all take a wrong turn every now and then. Sometimes it's the sat navs fault!!

In Bradford, I think it’s an automatic fail if you: don’t pull out into the middle of the road when leaving junction, stop for ambulances, drive anywhere whilst not smoking a large spliff, use filter lanes properly.

Traffic lights might as well be binned - whatever the colour, treat them as green.

Funkydrummer wrote:"The purpose of a driving test is to test a person’s competency and safety, not whether they can get to a destination efficiently."

OK, so why are they testing their driving skills whilst using a Satnav, the sole purpose of which is to
provide directions to a chosen destination ?

They may as well ask them to read a ladybird book that's propped up the dashboard.

This has already been answered for you. To see whether they can drive safely with the distraction of a satnav.

Simply can't understand the logic of using satnav for such a large part of the test. The 10-minute independent driving section of the test was introduced to demonstrate the candidates planning and awareness of junctions and traffic conditions without the prompt of turn-by-turn directions from the examiner. So theyve decided to double the time of the independent drive, aided by satnav guidance - which is turn-by-turn direction!

My pupils wil get experience of using satnav - covering both the benefits and pitfalls - during their training. I see no need to have such a reliance on it during the test.

Funkydrummer wrote:"The purpose of a driving test is to test a person’s competency and safety, not whether they can get to a destination efficiently."

OK, so why are they testing their driving skills whilst using a Satnav, the sole purpose of which is to
provide directions to a chosen destination ?

They may as well ask them to read a ladybird book that's propped up the dashboard.

What deanothedino says below. It’s not difficult to understand.

Funkydrummer wrote:"The purpose of a driving test is to test a person’s competency and safety, not whether they can get to a destination efficiently."

OK, so why are they testing their driving skills whilst using a Satnav, the sole purpose of which is to
provide directions to a chosen destination ?

They may as well ask them to read a ladybird book that's propped up the dashboard.

What deanothedino says below. It’s not difficult to understand.

On a driving test you don’t know where you are going it’s the examiner who tells you where to turn ain’t it, you don’t head for a destination you just follow their instructions.
That’s what I remember from my driving test in 1991.