MSA Newslink November 2021

Comment
We need a training and testing regime
that is fit for the 21st century
Rod Came
MSA GB South East
Here’s some stories from the annals of
current young people learning to drive...
Case study no. 1
Dave is just 18 and has been driving
for a year with Mum and Dad. He has
had three driving lessons with an ADI
who isn’t busy, unlike most of the others
in town who are and have waiting lists. I
wonder why.
His driving test was quite short.
Knowing the local geography he realised
that he was returning to the driving test
centre early, at which point the examiner
explained that compliance with speed
limits was a requirement for passing a
driving test.
Undeterred by this minor upset Dave,
using an app, booked another test for a
couple of weeks later. Same test centre,
different examiner, should be no
problem. This test was longer, all of 13
minutes before arriving back at the test
centre. This examiner was kind enough
to explain to Dave that when exiting a
roundabout onto a dual carriageway it
was bad form to stay in the right-hand
lane all the way to the next roundabout.
Dave’s explanation that lots of people
do it cut no ice.
Case study no. 2
Maggie has been having lessons for
more than a year, she is now 18. The
Covid restrictions did not cause her any
inconvenience in that regard as her
family are living with relatives, one of
whom is an ADI. Her frequent drives of
25 miles each way to school most days
allowed her to gain much experience, her
more recent forays into the test centre
town improved her observation and
anticipation in relation to heavier traffic
conditions.
Her test pass was marred by two minor
faults, each being the same problem.
During her driving lessons she had
filled the car with petrol, driven a fair
number of miles at night, in rain, fog and
frosty conditions and on a motorway. In
total she had driven more than 2,000
miles.
Case study no. 3
Maggie has a friend called Maya who
is learning to drive with an ADI. The girls
have often discussed their lessons and
their respective instructors. Maya has a
driving test in a week or so’s time.
The more they talk about their
experiences with their instructors and the
progress each has been making, the
more apparent it becomes that Maya has
not received one half of the training and
advice that Maggie had been given – and
she has an imminent driving test.
Maggie, as a friend, advised that Maya
should postpone her test, which she has
done, to a date in February. She also
wanted to change to another instructor
but is unable to do so as she has paid
upfront and has six more lessons to go
and cannot get a refund.
These case studies are not a figment of
my imagination, the facts are known to
me. In my view each of them highlights
problems inherent with driver training.
Take Dave (no.1): He has had almost
no professional driver training yet he can
‘‘
The DVSA will aim resources
at under-performing ADIs...
that is an oxymoron... an ADI
should be performing at the
minimum standard, if not they
should not be an ADI...
‘‘
apply for a practical driving test because
there are no restrictions or requirements
that he has to overcome in order to do
so. As long as he can find the money
from somewhere to cover the cost, he
can keep taking tests as long as he
wants to and will probably eventually
pass.
In these straitened times, when tests
are hard to come by, Dave has used the
route of booking via an app, thus having
an advantage over candidates who do
not have use of that technology. Happily,
it has recently been announced that
DVSA are taking steps to limit the
activities of businesses providing this
type of service.
Maggie (no. 2) has had the advantage
of a lot of formal lessons as well as
considerable road experience, this was
reflected in her test pass performance.
Unlike Dave she absorbed the training
and advice that she was given, was not
arrogant but compliant, and it showed in
her driving ability.
Perhaps Maya (no. 3) highlights all
that is wrong with the current driver
training system. She has done the right
thing in that over the last year she has
had lessons with an ADI when she could.
She booked a test date when advised to
but had not received anywhere near the
standard of training required to ensure as
far as possible, that she would pass her
driving test.
Unless there is a considerable fall in
the number of people who want to learn
to drive, and the numbers are gradually
falling, the DVSA is not going to get on
top of providing sufficient practical
driving tests to satisfy demand.
People like Dave who take multiple
tests with little hope of passing are
exacerbating the problem. An enforced
longer wait between each application for
a new test date could help to minimise
this.
Under the revised Standards Check
regime DVSA will aim resources at
under-performing ADIs. There should be
no under-performing ADIs, that is an
oxymoron. An ADI should be performing
at the very least above a minimum
(much higher than current) standard, if
they are not then they should not be an
ADI. They should have to stop teaching,
go get more training and when capable,
take Part 1 & 3 tests to re-qualify.
Anything less and the public are being
misled regarding the standard of teaching
expected from a qualified professional.
We are living through a period of
change. DVSA has done away with the
B + E test, truck drivers have become
the new knights of the road, fossil-fuelled
cars are for the scrap heap in the
not-too-distant future.
Given all this change, is it too much to
expect that the standard of driver training
could be brought kicking and screaming
into the 21st century?
16
NEWSLINK n NOVEMBER 2021