In my opinion, it’s astonishing that a memory test, a bit of a video game and a forty-minute practical is all that is required to ‘prove’ you are a knowledgeable, careful and competent driver and thus be granted a licence, which lasts for the next 50-odd years.

Successive governments have encouraged teenagers to continue their studying beyond the minimum school leaving age (and if I ignore my cynicism for a moment which suggests this is merely a ploy to disguise unemployment figures), why is it perceived as a vote-losing policy to advocate a more thorough grounding in driving?  You won’t die if you are unable to correctly apply a mathematical equation or précis some text from Shakespeare.  You might very well die if you fail to recognise that a hazardous situation is developing around your vehicle.

Why do the authorities abandon the learning process at what is effectively the 11+ of knowledge, when in every other area of education they encourage students to continue their studies to a higher level?  There is an incentive to take A-levels or study for a degree.  The rewards may be the expectation of a high salary or the satisfaction of discovering a new cure for the common cold.  The rewards for striving for a higher standard in driving also have life-saving benefits but people taking ‘advanced driver training’ are perceived as the geeks of the motoring population.

In recent years the driving test has become moderately more searching but still falls far short of what is needed.  At a national road safety meeting a few years ago, I had a discussion with the (then) head of one of the larger training organisations about the criteria for passing the novice test.  In a nutshell, the chap disclosed that Government had decided that if the test became more difficult to pass, the result would be a considerable rise in the number of unlicensed drivers – the authorities thought it better to leave well alone.  That way, the ‘majority’ of new drivers would be measured on having a modicum of knowledge and ability to drive unaccompanied.

Half-hearted attempts have been made to make the driving test more thorough but, for example, if driving instructors had been doing their job thoroughly over the years, hazard perception development would have been an integral part of the learning process – not an addendum in the form of a video game.  They would also be encouraging the right ‘attitude’ in their pupils, which is the key to safe driving and is still not adequately addressed.  The test should cover understanding the thinking, the processing and dissemination of information and the way in which a driver actively reduces his or her personal risk on the road.

In many people’s eyes, holding a driving licence is a right, not a privilege.  Their objective is to get that licence as quickly as possible, as cheaply as possible.  There are some instructors on the street who are well aware that to fill the books, they have to offer their clients the product they want to buy – which often results in poorly prepared candidates just scraping through their test with the barest minimum of knowledge.

The DSA should be encouraging instructors to improve the quality of their teaching and recognising those who do.  There ‘are’ some extremely good novice instructors who manage to persuade their pupils that there is more to driving than being able to execute a turn in the road, negotiate a roundabout without stalling and manage their stress levels for 40 minutes. They take a pride in their work and are rewarded by the knowledge that they have assisted in achieving a higher standard for their pupils. Unfortunately, there is generally no incentive for pupils to achieve anything more than the basic knowledge.  They often demand to take their test before their instructor considers they are ready, which is why so many fail at the first attempt.

There are many ways we could improve the way in which we assess new drivers – for example:

• If the assessment process for newly qualified drivers continued over a period of time after the initial test
• If licences were graded and hours of practical experience after the test were professionally monitored and logged
• If a continuation of development was mandatory in order to say, drive something more responsive than a 1.1 litre driving school style of car
• If new drivers were limited to travelling at lower speeds in NSL areas until they had proved themselves capable...

...I feel many new drivers would be encouraged to think about improving their skills and developing the right attitude towards their fellow road users.  The disproportionately high levels of young driver deaths would also tumble. Because governments are afraid to grasp the nettle, those of us who do take an interest in developing our driving to higher levels will continue to be subjected to going about our daily business surrounded by inadequately trained ‘amateurs’.

If one considers that driving is, for the majority of people, the most hazardous task they undertake, it is horrifying that they are so ill prepared for the job.  Continuous self-development is encouraged in many professions.  Why is it that so few people take an interest in improving their survival rates in an often-hostile environment?

We should constantly assess and reassess the quality of our driving.  If we make a mistake, we should store it up for later reflection.  We should endeavour to deliver a quality ‘product’ every time we get behind the wheel and take the responsibilities of being in control of a potentially lethal weapon seriously. We should also enjoy driving.  Enjoyment of a task lessens the stress.  There are ranges of alternative techniques to consider once the foundations are in place and at a level of unconscious competency.  Including these extra skills in our driving portfolio makes us better able to remain alive.  We should never stop the learning process. 

Above all, we should continuously assess ways in which we can develop the process of becoming ‘thinking’ drivers and able to remain so.

I am so concerned about the disproportionately high numbers of new and younger drivers crashing and hurting themselves (and others) that I am actively working at producing a range of workshops, practical driving sessions and group driving days aimed at encouraging these vulnerable road users to learn how to help themselves.  Special Young Driver Days will become a feature of the Cadence Calendar of Events For more information about Cadence Young Driver Days, please contact us at:

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it