Kill a cyclist GBP500

Thing is mooks, there is a minimum standard, set by the driving tests, that is in reality a fairly decent standard. The problem doesn't lie in the qualification but in what would seem to be the inevitable decline in standards shortly after obtaining that qualification.

What we need is a more draconian response to infractions of the law and good driving practice with a scaled approach to penalties. Minor infractions will allow the driver to choose between points or not driving for a week, far greater penalties should exist with the introduction of a lifetime driving ban. Driving has always been a priviledge, not a right and the legal system needs to start treating it as such.

I'm probably 50:50 on this - having taken my advanced driving test, I feel that the existing driving test and driver training are there to a) teach you to physically drive a car and b) to drive within the confines of the law. It doesn't teach you how to control your car in adverse weather conditions or to observe road conditions more closely. I feel that if more people had this qualification, it would dramatically reduce the number of accidents on the roads - and only people who had the right aptitude for driving would be 'allowed' on the road. It's kind of like preventing some of the numpty fairweather cyclists from being on the roads.

But yes, driving is a privilege, and hence there should be much more draconian rules on this. The problem is of course that motorists don't - and will never - see it that way.