90% WANT DRIVERS TO RETAKE THEIR FULL TEST

Motorists must have a use it or lose it attitude

ALL drivers should be retested throughout their years on the road, new research has revealed.

Almost 90% of people who responded to a poll said testing should be ongoing, with 72% revealing they know at least one motorist in need of a retest.

The survey also revealed drivers need to have a use it or lose it attitude towards driving skills.

Euro Car Part partnered with Transport Research Laboratory to retest people and found people need to regularly drive or risk their skills deteriorating to the level of a novice.

They also revealed 17% believe the test should be taken every four years. Currently, there is no UK law that requires all drivers to retake lessons and/or their test after taking time away from the wheel.

Euro Car Part and TRL retested motorists under differing conditions to see if ability reduces without regular practice.

The research examined awareness, response time and driving accuracy in normal and distracted conditions for:

Participant A: Non-driver who has not driven in eight years but still holds a full licence.

Participant B: Occasional driver who drives three to four times a year.

Participant C: Regular driver who drives two to three times a week.

Participant A performed the worst across awareness, response time and driving accuracy in both normal and distracted driving simulations.

They also presented a steeper increase in mistakes between normal and distracted conditions than participants B and C.

Participant C was the “best” driver across all measurements in normal driving conditions.

Participant B outperformed Participant C in accuracy and awareness in the distracted driving scenario.

Euro Car Parts marketing director Bill Stimson said: “While this research is by no means conclusive or representative of every driver, it’s clear that – unlike riding a bike – driving skills do need to be practised to avoid any deterioration.”

SKILLS Driving test