Driving test public consultation

ADIDriving

The RSA are launching a public consultation for the driving test. This link contains all the details including contact details for any members of the public who wish to comment.

miss no stars

Interesting, some of it seems odd though, like this:

4. Hazard management should be assessed in the practical test
Good hazard perception skills increase the likelihood that drivers will behave in ways which reduce their exposure to risk. Under consideration at present is whether greater focus should be given to assessing a candidate’s ability to perceive and manage hazards as a part of the practical driving test.

Like, I thought handling hazards properly is already a part of the practical test..? Isn't that one of the things a lot of people go down on? "Reaction to Hazards". Surely you can't avoid having to properly manage hazards as it is...

They go on to describe it as potentially being examined by:

Assessment of hazard management can be achieved in the following ways:  Normal driving (i.e. hazards encountered during the course of normal driving during the driving test  Situational judgement exercises (e.g. show the candidate still pictures of driving scenarios they are likely to encounter and ask them to point out the main hazards and how they would react to that particular scenario).  Delayed commentary (e.g. a candidate remembers the hazards they observe as they perform a driving manoeuvre and are then asked to describe the hazard and how they responded to them).

Normal driving surely is where it's already examined? I don't get how they think that's new. With the situational judgement they'll just have a set of pictures that everyone will learn off the answers to, plus it's pretty much already covered in the theory test.

But I do like the sound of this:

7. Driver Tester feedback after the driving test
This recommendation seeks to establish what is the best method and format for the delivery of feedback to the test candidate after the test.

Feedback is surely REALLY important. If someone does something unsafe in the test they get a grade 3 fault, but the tester isn't allowed to tell them specifically what they did and why it's unsafe? Only to have them drive off from the centre?! (albeit accompanied).

Also, I like the sound of the independent driving where the tester gives a general route. It's actually an easier way of driving and I'd say people are far more relaxed. Like, if they came out of the test centre and said "okay, we're going to head up to the middle third so if you turn left, then left and right immediately, follow the road to the end, turn right then left and then follow the main road until you get to the shops and turn right then" it'd be so much easier to relax into normal driving. I really hated not getting an instruction on direction til relatively the last minute.

Witcher

miss no stars wrote: »

Like, if they came out of the test centre and said "okay, we're going to head up to the middle third so if you turn left, then left and right immediately, follow the road to the end, turn right then left and then follow the main road until you get to the shops and turn right then" it'd be so much easier to relax into normal driving. I really hated not getting an instruction on direction til relatively the last minute.

There's no way people would remember that many directions, they'll be nervous just from having a tester in the car so they'll never hold onto that info in their mind.

TwoCats

In the UK, the independent driving bit involves the tester saying 'Right, drive me to Main Street' and you just get yourself there, following road signs. There are no instructions given at all.

I can't tell you why

Miss No Stars: I assume the part on hazards would be an addition to consideration already given to hazards during the drive, increasing its importance.
The feedback would be a great improvement to the test.

Remember folks give the RSA your views ( so that we can all say "I told them so.." )