The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has confirmed that the driving test in England, Scotland and Wales ( Northern Ireland test works differently ) will change from Monday 4 December 2017.
So what’s going to change? From Monday the 4th of December 2017 will include following directions from a sat nav and testing different manoeuvres.
So what does that mean?
1. Independent driving part of the test will increase to 20 minutes
During this part of the test, you have to drive without turn-by-turn directions from the driving examiner. Making it longer, around 20 minutes, is going to be roughly half of the test. However, during this part….. see point 2
2. Following directions from a sat nav
During the independent driving part of the test, most candidates will be asked to follow directions from a sat nav.
The examiner will provide the sat nav (a TomTom Start 52) and set it up ( you can’t bring your own ). You won’t need to set the route, the examiner will do this for you. So, it doesn’t matter what make or model of sat nav you practise with.
You’ll be able to ask the examiner for confirmation of where you’re going if you’re not sure. It won’t matter if you go the wrong way unless you make a fault while doing it.
One in five driving tests won’t use a sat nav and you’ll need to follow traffic signs instead.
3. Reversing manoeuvres will be changed
The ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn-in-the-road’ ( this was called “3 point turn” when I did my test ) manoeuvres will no longer be tested, but you should still be taught them by your instructor.
Instead you’ll be asked to do one of three possible reversing manoeuvres:
1 – Parallel park at the side of the road
2 – Park in a bay – either driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out (the examiner will tell you which you have to do)
3 – Pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for two car lengths and rejoin the traffic
4. Answering a vehicle safety question while you’re driving
The examiner will ask you two vehicle safety questions during your driving test – these are known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions.
You’ll be asked the:
‘Tell me’ question (where you explain how you’d carry out a safety task) at the start of your test, before you start driving
‘Show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while you’re driving – for example, showing how to wash the windscreen using the car controls and wipers.
DVSA have provided a wee video to help anyone doing their test after the 4th of December 2017.
So if you’ve not passed before the 4th of December, unfortunately this will affect you. The pass mark is staying the same, with the examiner marking the test in the same way and the same things will still count as faults. So, you’ll pass your test if you make no more than 15 driving faults and no serious or dangerous faults.
The overall time of the driving test won’t change, it’ll still take around 40 minutes and still cost the same.
With road collisions the biggest killer of young people, about 25% of all deaths of those aged between 15 and 19, Are these changes too late? Will they help? Do they go far enough?
