Public and Commercial Services Union

Novice drivers are known to be overrepresented in, for example, collisions with oncoming traffic while turning right at junctions. Unfortunately there is a significant risk of serious collision if driving test routes incorporate right turns across the path of fast moving traffic. As dual controls (i.e. the examiner can take over complete control of brakes, clutch and accelerator) are not mandatory in test vehicles the risk involved in attempting such a manoeuvre with a novice driver is unacceptably high.

Several collisions have occurred in this environment where the examiner has been seriously injured, required hospitalisation and months off work to recover. Therefore it is not uncommon for Driving Test Centre managers to exclude "challenging" junctions from test routes. Doing this impacts on the quality of the test.

At present the driving test does not have a motorway element; nor does it test overtaking.

Dual controls are the answer
 

Making dual controls mandatory on all test vehicles would enable the safe testing of high risk manoeuvres such as incorporate right turns across the path of fast moving traffic, motorway driving and overtaking thus enhancing the real world validity of the driving test.

Ministers have been reluctant to address the dual controls issue for fear of being seen to compel new drivers to take lessons from Approved Driving Instructors (ADI). We believe the commercial car hire market would adapt to provide dual controlled vehicles at reasonable cost to those who do not wish to take lessons from an ADI. The key point is that if we want realistic tests then dual control is necessary.

A tougher motorcycle test
 

It should be noted that UK motorcycle riders are effectively subject to a form of graduated licensing involving both age related and engine size restrictions and an off road compulsory basic training (CBT) stage. Compared with the period before the introduction of CBT in December 1990, motorcyclist casualties have fallen as a proportion of mileage driven. We believe this is a compelling evidence for implementing graduated licensing for new car drivers.

However, more needs to be done to reduce new motorcycle rider casualty rates.  We believe that the current situation, where riders of low powered motorcycles are tested for the same amount of time as riders of more powerful machines (category A), must be changed. We suggest that there be a 1 hour on-road test for category A bikes. Currently it is possible to avoid category A testing by graduating through low power machines and then moving onto high power machines at the age of 21. However it is accepted that the risk period for new drivers runs from 17-25 and that even for older novice drivers/riders, lack of experience is itself a significant risk. A more challenging test could address both of these risks by encouraging more thorough training.