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27/05/2010
Experts have claimed that the driving test, which reaches its 75th anniversary next week, is out of touch with modern road conditions.
The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) said that tests have changed little over the years and are now out of step with changing road conditions - particularly in relation to the number of vehicles now on the road and the increasingly complicated driving environment.
It has suggested a 'rural road' component to the test, in a bid to address routes that it says account for 71% of deaths.
Chief examiner Peter Rodger said that an improvement in driving standards was necessary "to fill the gap", and highlighted the IAM's position that drivers need to take responsibility for a "lifelong learning approach".
"There are more cars on the road than ever before, and the driving environment is becoming more complicated," he added.
"Although cars are becoming easier to drive - with much improved brakes and suspension as well as power steering and a host of safety systems - traffic has significantly increased and traffic networks have become immensely more complex, so the driver needs far more understanding of what's going on outside the car."
Introduced on 1 June, 1935, the compulsory driving test had an immediate impact, cutting road deaths by almost 1,000 within a year of its introduction. In 1934, immediately prior to the introduction of the test, 7,343 people had been killed on British roads, despite there being only 2.4 million vehicles.
In comparison, 2,538 people lost their lives in 2008, when there were some 34 million vehicles on the roads.
A poll released in February by tyre manufacturer Continental suggested that drivers who pass their test on the second attempt go on to become safer drivers.
It found that those who pass the second time around are less likely to be stopped by police, and tend to have fewer points on their licence. They are also less likely to pick up bad habits, such as suffering from bouts of road rage.
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