Calling for driving test re-sits

Discusssing whether drivers have to undergo re-tests at intervals during their driving career.

[ClickPress, Tue Jan 03 2006] The life-long freedom that comes with passing a driving test is something that most drivers take advantage of but do not fully appreciate. However, a new proposal by the head of road policing in Britain, Meredydd Hughes, could mean that drivers take not just one test, but several over the course of their driving career.

Although the number of road accidents in the UK is falling, with the number of injuries down 3% in 2004, there are still around 10 deaths and 800 injuries every day on British roads. It has been found that driver error is a major factor in 90% of car accidents, and retraining and re-testing is one way in which the number of injuries and deaths from road accidents could be decreased.

At present, only people who are ordered by the Court after being disqualified from driving have to pass another test - the extended driving test. At 70 minutes, the extended test lasts for longer than the ordinary test and covers a wider range of driving conditions.

The new proposal means that UK drivers may in the future have to undergo extra training or testing once they reach a certain age. This would ensure that all drivers were up to date with new driving practices as well as refreshing theory knowledge.

Rebecca Pearson of www.duck2watercarinsurance.co.uk says:

“Only 5% of the drivers who have Duck2water Car Insurance have an advanced driving qualification, which seems to show that many drivers dislike the idea of having their driving assessed. However, many drivers really would benefit from re-testing, as it would mean fewer accidents on the roads, making the roads a safer place for them as well as helping them get cheap car insurance premiums.”

However, it is unlikely that compulsory re-testing will be brought in in the near future because there are already 1.3 million drivers taking their tests each year, and only 1,635 examiners. Many testing centres, especially urban ones, across the UK are fully booked for weeks in advance, although some are less busy with bookings for only a few days. These tend to be in quieter towns where pass rates are higher and so there are fewer people taking their test for the second or third time.

In the short-term, Meredydd Hughes has suggested that Courts should more frequently impose re-testing orders on drivers who have been caught behaving irresponsibly behind the wheel.

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