(Part of the Reasonable Drivers Unanimous site)
In one word it's a joke. The biggest problem with American drivers is the lack of any real drivers education and testing. Driving around a small test course is hardly a test of a driver's ability; it's a test of being able to stop at a stop sign, being able to back up in a straight line, and, if it is a really hard test, being able to parallel park. The tests need to be on the road and NOT in the equivalent of a parking lot. A potential driver needs to be tested on things like: merging into traffic, passing, staying to the right, etc. And how well they can handle emergencies like skidding, spin outs, etc. Yeah, they (sometimes) teach it in drivers ed but they usually don't give a motorist any hands-on experience. [Responses]
(To see what others think or to give your own input click on the "[Responses]" link at the end of each paragraph.)
Driver Training & Education Articles at PDE
The Driving Adventures Page
Mine, others and your driving stories.
Stories about all the assholes we
encounter on the road.
Highway 17 Page
of Shame
A must see! Includes a list of vehicles that tend to drive like assholes
and "Previous Jerques du Jour", winners of the asshole driver award for
the day.
The Seven Tenths Theory
(with criticism)
Better driver training can make our system work better, smoother, and faster
however it doesn't necessity mean safer roads.