Newslink December

Regional News
Theory test certificate holders lose out
again as DVSA rules out extension
Terry Pearce
MSA West Midlands
By the time you read this article, we will
be out of the second lockdown.
This time, because there were no
emergency key worker tests, instructors
were unable to carry on working by using
that as an excuse, so hopefully they were
forced to respect the lockdown this time.
One thing I found to be very unfair is
the fact that the theory test certificate
was again not extended, the reason given
being ‘your road safety knowledge and
hazard perception skills need to be up to
date when you restart driving lessons
and take your driving test’.
So where does this magical two-year
figure come from? If someone passes
their driving test just before the two-year
deadline, it is assumed that their road
safety knowledge will stay the same for
their lifetime, so why would the
knowledge of someone who is learning
after two years and is still getting
experience as a learner be different for
someone who passed the theory test
some time ago?
Several of my pupils who pass when
they are 17 do not drive again until they
leave university and they still have the
required skills.
The quote we all use is that ‘driving is
like learning to ride a bike’, implying that
when you can do it, ‘you never forget’. I
taught a 59-year-old lady who had not
driven since she failed her driving test 30
years previously and without any
instruction she could still drive
reasonably well.
As far as hazard perception goes
people are constantly practising it; it’s
just that we call them ‘backseat drivers’.
When I took my ADI theory test there
were no printed questions, you were just
given a list of books to read which
included the Highway Code. It was about
a year after I passed the theory test that I
started teaching. I had bought myself a
flip book of road signs to test my pupils
because, before the present theory test
started, you were asked questions about
motoring matters and the Highway Code
at the end of their driving test. When I
confidently started to flip the pages to
ask them what the sign was, I suddenly
thought to myself ‘what is that sign’? I
had forgotten!
Now, if I could forget after being a
motorist for 25 years which included
driving fire appliances for the brigade,
what is a reasonable time for a theory
certificate to be valid? Apart from the
theory exam, perhaps learners should
also be asked some additional questions
at the end of the test, then they would be
encouraged to keep their knowledge up
to date.
I suppose that we should be grateful
that the DVSA did not take advice about
the two-year figure from TV programme
documentary makers as they think we
have a memory span of about four
minutes. Halfway through a car chase
you have an advert break and when they
come back, they give you a recap, very
annoying.
Not that I am cynical, but I think that
is purely to avoid making a few more
minutes real programming!
Perhaps two years might be reasonable
in normal cases but not extending the
theory test through the lockdown was
downright inconsiderate and unfair, in
my view.
West Midlands AGM
We recently held our regional AGM
digitally on ‘Zoom’ and I am pleased to
say that the committee members have
remained the same.
As the regional editor can I make my
normal request for items of interest; I am
sure there are many stories waiting to be
told. My contact details are at the end.
Finally...
Hopefully, we will be soon be getting
vaccinated against Covid-19 and looking
forward to a brighter future. I wish you
all a Very Happy Christmas and a Happy
New Year.
CONTACT
To comment on this article, or provide
updates from your area, contact
Terry at terry@terrypearce.co.uk
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NEWSLINK n DECEMBER 2020