The driving test is a road safety measure. Its purpose is to ensure that new drivers are safe to drive unaccompanied. By showing a DSA Examiner an ability to handle the car safely; apply the rules of the Highway Code; show courtesy and consideration for those we share the road with, there is no reason why anybody should fail.

The image of the driving test has changed considerably in recent years. Examiners were seen as miserable unforgiving characters who made tests as difficult as possible to prevent candidates passing.

Customer care has a greater focus these days consequently, new examiners are trained and existing ones retrained to be more friendly and understanding about 'test nerves'. The modern test has become a more positive experience and need not be feared as it used to be.

What passing the Driving Test means
Passing the driving test achieves a sense of freedom .... freedom from waiting for public transport, costly taxis or relying on other people. Passing the Driving Test also opens up job opportunities, however, speaking from a road safety perspective, it means only that the candidate was capable of demonstrating safe driving.

A pass certificate doesn't mean the holder is a good driver with nothing more to learn, though some new drivers clearly think that passing makes them instant experts. Every year 1,000 people die in road traffic accidents involving a young driver. Research shows that it takes two years from passing the driving test before a new drivers' accident liability falls by less than 50%.

Freedom can be easily lost. Since the 'New Drivers Act' came into effect on 1 June 1997, over 41,000 new drivers have had their driving licences taken away by the courts, over 85% of these being male. Newly qualified drivers who receive six or more penalty points on their driving licence within two years of passing their test will have their licence will be revoked. To get their licence back they have to first reapply for a provisional licence, meaning that they have to drive as a learner again until they pass both the theory and practical test again.

An increasing number of offenders are being disqualified until they have passed the 'extended driving test'. This is a longer test (about 70 minutes) for drivers convicted of dangerous driving offences.

Most candidates take their test in a relatively small low powered car. Although insurance premiums and other costs might restrict the new drivers choice of purchase, modern motor cars including those bought second-hand are often sold on their engine power performance; refinements and comfort.

Driving a powerful vehicle in the comfort of a living room type environment, especially in the company of peers, quickly distracts the new driver from the safe driving that was learnt to pass the driving test.

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Why do people fail ?
Or, put another way, why do some people pass first time ?

Where candidates receive plenty tuition and practice on all types of roads in different traffic conditions they are much likely to pass first time. There is absolutely no point taking a test 'for the experience' before the DSA recommended syllabus has been completed and practised sufficiently. Taking a test too early wastes everyone's time; the candidates money and besides resulting in a disappointment, can cause danger on the road. Because many candidates are taking the test before they are ready, often using a Driving School car, examiners now record the instructors' licence ID on all tests.

Female candidates taking the theory driving test have a better pass rate than males and the male candidates have a better pass rate than females on the practical test. Candidates fail a practical test where a driving mistakes are habitual or are considered potentially or actually dangerous. The main points that people fail on, in order of the most common, are:

	Not taking effective observation and poor judgement emerging out of side roads
	Incorrect use of the controls and or poor observations when reverse parking
	Make effective use of the mirrors well before changing direction or slowng down
	Poor use of the controls and/or weak observation when reversing round a corner
	Incorrect use of signals - not cancelling or giving misleading signals
	Failure to move away correctly from stationary positions, usually poor observation
	Incorrect road position, usually on bends and poor lane discipline on roadabouts
	Poor steering control, such as when making left or right turns
	Incorrect position when turning right such as in one way streets
	Hesitation causing delay, usually by not pulling out promptly at junctions

Examiners don't expect a 'perfect drive' or for candidates to adopt any special procedures just 'for the test'. Keep a cool head, do things in the way you've been professionally taught. If you make a mistake, put it behind you and concentrate on what's happening ahead. Whatever the result, at the end of the test, examiners now provide some helpful feedback.

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Improving the Driving Test
Although the UK statistically has one of the best international road safety records, there is serious concern that the accident casualty rate, in common with the rest of the world, is highest amongst young and inexperienced drivers.

Modifying the Driving Test has been seen as a good way to raise the standard of tuition given by instructors. With this in mind, in July 1996 a Theory Test was introduced. This was computerised in January 2000. The computerised hazard perception element was introduced in November 2002.

The length of driving time on the practical test was extended by ten minutes in May 1999 to approximately forty minutes. The DSA also introduced 'randomisation' of the emergency stop exercise; examiner choice of the set-piece manoeuvres manoeuvres and the possibility of failure, based on exceeding a stated number of driving faults. The extra time is used to drive on national speed limit roads.

Since September 2003 candidates have been expected to show or tell their examiners how they would carry out vehicle safety and maintenance checks.

The DSA has a driving test for new taxi drivers and quality assurance monitoring for service bus drivers. The European Commission have published new minimum standards for tests throughout Europe. These changes mainly affect bus, lorry and motorcycle tests.

There is a limit to how much any test can overcome the immature attitudes expressed as 'show-off' driving that results in crashes and casualties. Raising the minimum driving age from 17 to 18 is not seen as a way to solve this problem, rather the introduction of stiffer controls of the structure of driver training is looking more likely. This may result in ADIs issuing certificates of training/competence to accompany test applications.

For the moment, the annual review and upgrade of the Theory Test Questions maintains the standard of the first part of the driving test. Because the practical test takes place in the same traffic environment that is becoming increasingly demanding, its standard automatically reflects the increased pressures.

Hazard Perception Testing
Two thirds of new drivers are under 25 and consider that they have quicker reactions than older drivers. The truth is that in the real world they are 2 seconds slower than experienced drivers ! To address this problem, all Theory Test candidates, including new large vehicle drivers and driving instructors, have to take and pass a Hazard Perception element within the Theory Test.

This takes approximately an extra 15 minutes and contains a number of moving video clips, filmed from a car. By clicking a mouse button (left or right), candidates identify the developing hazard(s). In driving there are three main types of hazard:

	Static	eg. Junctions, including roundabouts. Bends
	Environmental	eg. Wed and icy conditions. Mud on the road
	Dynamic	eg. Pedestrians and cyclists. Emerging traffic

Dynamic hazards need to be the focus for this test. Each video clip will last between 40 and 80 seconds. Each clip will contain at least one scorable item, for instance, a country road with a car parked on the left at the beginning of a left hand bend. An approaching cyclist comes into view beyond the parked car, this is followed by an oncoming car that begins to overtake the cyclist. The earlier the candidate recognises the developing situation and clicks the button, the higher the test score will be. Failure to achieve a high enough score in either section of this test will result in both tests having to be taken again. Initially, there will be twenty parallel tests, each containing 15 scorable items. Fast multiple clicking will be quickly detected and penalised !

There are a total of 934 video clips. These are reviewed for quality and expanded annually. Last year 75 new clips were added.

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