The majority of you reading this blog will have probably already passed your driving test and most likely would hate to have to put through the whole rigmarole ever again! Nerve racking, stressful, and expensive are just a few memories that spring to my mind when thinking back! It’s true what they say as well…you never really know how to drive until you’ve passed your test and you’re out on the roads alone.
What do you make of this then?
I read recently on the Daily Mails website that the Driving Standards Agency has ‘revamped’ the driving test once again and this will be coming in to place from 4th October this year.
The new test is designed to promote ‘independent thinking’ amongst new drivers, and essentially role play a situation whereby a driver is lost. Drivers will have to drive around for 10 minutes taking instructions verbally only and by following road signs. They will not be allowed any prompting from the examiner at any point. During this part of the test, driver’s will also be asked to complete a five point turn…yes you heard me right, a FIVE point turn…and also a U-turn. This again is supposed to simulate a driver being lost and heading in the wrong direction and thus having to turn the car around.
It is understood that during a trial run on 100 learner drivers, they made 5 times more mistakes and only 18% passed the test! That equates to less than 1 in 5 passing.
There are mixed views on the new test; many believing it is a good way to go as the test will be much more realistic, and better prepare new drivers for the real world whilst others believe that it is ‘missing the point’ of reducing the number of reckless drivers on our roads. Not only this, but it will be much more costly for young learners to get through their training and pass their tests…could this lead to more cases of young adults driving on our roads without full licenses?
I’m sure this is a topic of conversation which will be brought up many more times before its implementation in October, but what do you think? I’m not convinced that it is going to help reduce the number of accidents caused by reckless young drivers…they will just know how to handle themselves better in the event that they become lost on the way…
