L-test revolution
Would you pass December’s all-new driving test?
CARS have come a long way in the past 20 years. Electrification is now no longer a niche, vehicles taking over steering, braking and even parking is commonplace, as are cabins crammed with screens and tech to get us around traffic and keep us entertained. One thing that hasn’t changed much in 20 years, though, is the practical part of the driving test: a learner who passed in 1997 would have faced a near-identical assessment to someone today. This is despite rising traffic levels and changes to road laws.
But not for long. In April, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) confirmed the test in England, Wales and Scotland will finally be improved to take into account new tech and driving habits. The new exam will come into force on 4 December, and to find out what it entails Auto Express picked up some L-plates and joined Citroen and IAM Roadsmart for the day alongside three recently qualified drivers.
“The DVSA has made the test far more relevant to real-world driving. It’s a step in the right direction,” said Richard Gladman, IAM Roadsmart’s head of driving and riding standards, and an ex-police officer who specialised in road safety and accident investigation.
Gladman pointed out that the changes come after the Government looked at some worrying road safety stats. Currently, road collisions are the biggest killer of young people, accounting for a quarter of all deaths of those aged 15-19. And many of these collisions occur on high-speed roads like single and dual carriageways, suggesting drivers aren’t prepared to drive safely at speed after getting their licence.
As a result, from 4 December, drivers will be examined on a higher proportion of single and dual carriageways, while many of the elements conducted during the test will change, too.
“The biggest change is the increase in the share of independent driving from 10 to 20 minutes,” Gladman explained. “This will now account for roughly half the test and give examiners a better gauge of how well the learner copes when driving by themselves after passing.”
And while those taking their test currently have to follow signs to a given location during the independent driving, after 4 December, learners will be asked to follow a sat-nav. “Most cars today come with some form of sat-nav, be it a phone, portable device or built-in,” he added. “They’re here to stay, so it makes sense to ensure that learners know how to use them safely and follow their instructions.”
But not all will be tasked with following sat-nav instructions; one in five will still be asked to stick to road signs. “Manoeuvres that aren’t common today have also been removed, such as reversing around a corner,” Gladman added. “Instead, drivers will be asked to parallel park, bay-park or then pull up on the right-hand side of the road. These are manoeuvres you’re more likely to encounter every day.”
To find out if the new test does reflect the real world better, Auto Express enlisted three young drivers, all of whom had qualified within the past 12 months. All three agreed to take the new test to see what difference the changes are set to make. Gladman and Rebecca Ashton, IAM’S head of driver behaviour, would act as examiners.
Before departing, they explained the test route was representative of one the DVSA would use. There were more single carriageways and a large proportion of dual carriageways, plus the usual urban and residential sections. Turn the page to see how our candidates got on.
With December bringing a hugely updated driving test, we asked three recently qualified motorists to try it and rate it. Here’s how they got on