To think that the UK driving test system is in need of an overhaul?

[Stirner]

This thread comes from a comment a posted on another driving thread, but I thought it was worth its own.

I suspect this is going to get me roasted, I strongly feel that the test system is in dire need of an overhaul.

At the moment would-be drivers are faced with three month long waits for tests. Often the examiners at test centres are inconsistent, capricious, and invent reasons to fail candidates. In theory decisions can be appealed but this just results in a free re-test if successful, and in my experience driving instructors discourage pupils from taking this route (I strongly suspect they fear that their other students would get penalised if they're marked out as trouble makers).

This coupled with the long wait to get a test means that drivers are needlessly barred from the roads. A few months ago, on a rare occasion of taking public transport to work I heard a young woman having a conversation with the DVSA call centre, apparently an examiner has called in sick on the day of her test so her booking was cancelled, and as a result she faced weeks of waiting for another slot. She was another one that needed it for work too.

In my opinion, given that all the threads on the topic has shown driving is an essential skill for many, the UK system is a disgrace. I think the US system seems much more sensible.

So, AIBU?

(For full disclosure it took me a lot of attempts to pass my test)

Totally agree it’s more to do with if they like you a feel your going to be safe
I was definitely safer on my first test than on my second I even went down a wrong road but still past and I fear it was more to do with the fact she felt I may knew her daughter as we worked in the same field

I don't see a problem in my local area. I didn't have to wait very long for my test, and passed first time with 3 minors. I remember thinking the test was actually very easy.

What is the US system?

I sort of do agree that there can be inconsistency between examiners- but then everyone likes to have a reason for why they failed. It can't be because they're not good enough! Any sort of consistency checking system is probably going to make tests more expensive, though?

A long wait for tests is a pain, especially if you're limited with the days/times you can book a test for. However, I know when I was learning to drive, I just sort of planned ahead, booking a test in advance when I was nearly-but-not-quite ready, about 2 months in advance. I passed first time though.

I can see if you're failed for fairly innocuous things more than once, the system must seem stacked against you but it possibly also means you're not a very safe driver. Anecdotally, I think people who give an overall impression of competence and safety do tend to pass.

One thing I do think is that there should be limits on the number of times you can take you test in a year- maybe 5 would be fair? I know people who took 7 or 8 attempts to pass. Clearly, they weren't ready the first time around, and I think it's better to have too many lessons than too few. If people thought a bit harder before booking their first test, then it might free up more slots.

I do think we could have more test centers though. In my local city there is one test center, covering the city and several outlying towns. The next nearest test centers are far enough away that you'd have to hire your driving instructor's car for at least 3 hours to drive there, have the test and drive back. I also think there can be quite a big difference between test centers- but I don't know how you balance keeping the test consistent and making test centers accessible to everyone.

There is no US system - every state has different rules/tests.

I took a test in the US. It's a written multiple choice and then a short drive around the block. That was it. Frankly, it's terrifying that people drive after that! Having said that, roads in the US are much wider, the cars are all automatic and it's much easier to drive there than here.

If anyone is curious, you can find the waiting time for your local test center here: www.driving-test-cancellations-4all.co.uk/driving-test-centre-waiting-times.htm

Waiting times seem quite variable, but most centers seems to have a waiting time of 6-8 weeks, which I think works without too much forward planning. I imagine you would have to book further in advance if your availability was very limited, though.

There's definitely inconsistency in the process. On my first test I got marked down for continuing my 3 point turn while a van waited. She said I should have stopped and let him pass. He was happy to wait and was smiling and giving me a thumbs up as he could tell I was on my test.

Second test, same situation on same road. So I stopped to let the other vehicle pass and got marked down as the examiner said I should have carried on and let them wait.

I passed on the third time despite making a mistake I made on my second test. The examiner put it down as a minor observation error whereas the previous one put it down as a major error, so automatic fail.

Driving instructors are not penalised for a candidate appealing against a test result, they know it’s just another retest so won’t bother. Some appeals are crazy as well, I had the joy of reading quite a few mostly involving red lights and bus lanes. There is no quota for passes or fails, it’s a myth.

There is certain test centres that are really busy so you will wait longer, London is particularly bad due to demand. There is also a limited number of examiners, it is a really stressful job so sickness did happen a lot. There is a deployment team that juggle examiners around to minimise cancellations of tests, I used to work on that team and we would try to work our new test times before we cancelled tests. There is back up tests built in and hidden so we could juggle around tests but it wasn’t always possible.

Examiners are getting into a car with a stranger and being driven around for 45 minutes with someone that could have had zero lessons. I worked with two who had been in serious accidents on tests and couldn’t go out on test for months, one would never be able to be an examiner again due to damage to her back. They also can’t refuse people who has been violent as they have the right to be tested. They would have to go out on test with extra examiners in the back.

What needs to change is mandatory hours of training before you take your test to provide protection to the examiners and others on the road. Would be less stressful for examiners and offer protection to them from idiots who just book in.

Yabu in saying the UK system is a disgrace, the British driving test standard is regarded as one of the highest in the world. You will have the fewest restrictions aboard as it’s recognised as a rigorous test. US doesn’t have one system, varies state to state.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/the-most-powerful-driving-licences-in-the-world-a6925851.html

Our local test centre has gone down to two days a week. It’s a 17 week wait. Both our kids had done all their lessons, their theory and passed in 10. They wouldn’t have been happy if they had to wait that long. It’s mad.

You can always get earlier slots if you check for cancellations online.

Living in NY state after having lived and driven in the UK for many years, I am horrified at the poor level of testing before drivers can take the road. To get a NY drivers licence, all I had to do was read a slim booklet which mostly covered the rules around drink/drugs and driving. No sign post pictures to learn, no minimum stopping distances, etc. Then register for a 5 hr session. These all varied in content from place and instructor. I could then go for a written multiple choice test of 30 questions. After which I could book a road test. The wait was 4 weeks for that and lasted 4 minutes! We timed it. As I was over 18, I did not need to have any night driving time under my belt.
As a previous poster said the roads are mostly wider, so more room to avoid bad drivers. Also many more police, who give out tickets for infractions.

We're going through this at the moment with our son so I would love to see a change.

He was told at the end of November that he should book his test. The earliest date that he could get was March 21st. He failed that test and immediately came home and booked another. There was nothing available until June 28th. The test centre appears to just operate two days a week.

He's just coming to the end of a college course and would like to apply for an apprenticeship but there are very few in our local area but more, and better ones, slightly further away although it's virtually impossible to get to that general area from here by public transport without taking a train and at least two buses which would mean he wouldn't be especially reliable so he'd need to drive. The uncertainty of whether he'll pass in June though means that he can't apply for the available apprenticeships for the next academic year as he doesn't know if he'll be driving by then.

My dad drove us from NYC to Niagra falls, we saw a lot more traffic police on that one trip than I had ever seen in my life in the UK.

The test I took in Pennsylvania was in no way adequate to demonstrate whether someone was safe to drive. A parallel park (fair enough), then ten minutes driving around an industrial estate with a 10mph speed limit and virtually no traffic. I definitely don't think we need to change to that.

I do think we need more examiners/test centres to stop there becoming such a backlog for appointments.

I would rather see a system which makes it tougher to pass the test personally!

Having To wait to do the test is pain but it gives more practice time.

@LadyLance "I can see if you're failed for fairly innocuous things more than once, the system must seem stacked against you but it possibly also means you're not a very safe driver." - I can see your point, but I was in the situation where I had a repeated run with the same examiner who would always find an "innocuous" thing to fail me on. The day I passed I went out with one of his colleagues, drove in much the same way and made a couple of the (very minor, you see drivers do them all the time) errors that caused me to fail previously. He passed me without mentioning them.

My point is we shouldn't have a system where a driving examiner can fail a student on very minor points. And there should be consistency.

Another thing I noticed in my career as a learner (I moved a couple of times) is that in areas with more than one year centre instructors often tried to direct you towards a certain one, even if it was further away.

The problem is examiners, just like pupils, are not robots!

Individuals see things differently. And in a driving situation there's so much to take into consideration it's not just a yes/no answer

“Minor” things can still be dangerous. A system whereby too many minor faults means a fail is very much right!

I failed three times before passing. Different examiner each time. All perfectly professional and fair, I wasn't good enough til I got to the 4th test.

Personally I think we should have an ongoing system where everybody is retested after (10, 15) years ? Hopefully the improved standard of driving would lead to a reduction in insurance to offset the cost.

Or, at the very least require everyone convicted of a moving traffic offence to have to retake their test to regain their license.

And bring back the death penalty for drink driving ....

@GruffaloPants - I'm glad your experience was better then mine, and I will admit that there was times when it was right for me to fail.

What I take issue with is ending up in a situation was an individual who was holding me back professionally and economically, by persistently failing me for no good reason. Where's the accountability?

@DGRossetti - you'd bring back the death penalty for drink driving, and drunk driving only? Even if nobody died? Are you on glue ?

It seems like a lot of luck is involved. My daughter passed first time and I was slightly surprised. My son had very bad luck and probably should have passed second-time round. Took him three goes.

They both passed after I took over teaching them and we took the test in our own car. I think I was harder on them and made them hate me 😆

Having learnt to drive myself 34 yrs ago I was pleasantly surprised how easy it all was to sort out the theory and practical test for my 17 yr old.

As soon as he passed his theory we booked his test for 3 months later.
Something to aim for and if he wasn't ready then we would cancel with plenty of time.

I suppose it's about forward planning.