Advanced Driving Tests In U.K.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31118, 22 July 1966, Page 9

Advanced Driving Tests In U.K.

(By The London Correspondent of “The Press’*)

A’ SMALL red triangle badge displayed on cars belonging to more than 61,800 drivers in Britain is a prestige symbol becoming more and more eagerly sought by motorists. Denoting membership of the Institute of Advanced Motorists, it is also a positive step towards greater road safety. The main requirement to gain membership of the institute, a nonprofit body formed in March, 1956, is the passing of a stiff advanced driving test. Since June, 1956, more than 110,709 two-hour tests have been admiriistered by examiners who must be holders of class one police driving certificates, and who are appointed after undergoing particularly stringent tests. Of those tested, 59,762 drivers have passed, 50,947 have failed. The total of institute members is made up by 2380 holders of police driving certificates who are admitted without undergoing the tests. Mr R. B. Peters, secretary of the institute, which has its headquarters in Chiswick, London, explained that the object of the organisation was to improve the standard of driving and to promote road safety. It offered incentive to British drivers to develop the extra skill and concentration which could play a vital part in reducing road accident figures. About 1500 British magistrates are members of the institute, but Mr Peters said that if a member were involved in a traffic offence and raised his membership as a defence he would probably get a stiffer penalty. “You, of all people, should know better,” many magistrates would say.

Certainly one drawback of the present set-up of the institute is that it does not teach drivers—it merely tests them . But the value of the test is that hitherto unsus-

pected faults are often revealed, and so can be corrected. About 60 per cent of the drivers who fail the test return for a second try. Of these, 85 per cent have passed, some of the remainder try again. The statistics show no real difference between the success of men and women drivers. About 11 per cent of all the institute’s figures refer to women drivers. The institute has 22 examiners, 19 of them travelling amongst 75 different test centres.

Most of the persons tested are British residents. A Commonwealth visitor or anyone holding a provisional British licence is not eligible to enter; only drivers who have gained a British driving licence (and the test for this is usually much more difficult than the average New Zealand driving test) can try for the advanced qualification. Those who pass seem to take great pride in belonging to the institute. Besides their diploma and the badge for their vehicle (a special cover is provided to conceal it when a non-member is driving), members can also receive special terms for insurance. The test course embraces all types of road, from busy shopping streets to unrestricted highways and winding country roads, and all the time the accent is on progress with safety. Candidates normally take the test in their own car, and marks are gained for “car sympathy”—the ability to get the best out of their vehicle smoothly and without jerks, indecision and excessive noise. Before moving off the driver is expected to take elementary precautions such' as inspecting the instruments, adjusting the rear view mirror and checking any blind spot created by the construction of the vehicle. The use of brakes at all speeds is carefully watched. Braking Is expected to be smoothly progressive, applied neither too early nor too late, and the examiner will take note of any needlessly abrupt or jerky stoppings of the vehicle. Hands are expected to be at the “10 minutes to two” or “quarter to three” positions on the steering wheel—methods favoured by experts because of the greater measure of control. An elbow resting on the door would be faulted, as would the crossing of hands on one side of the steering wheel. The institute expects an advanced driver to always think and look ahead. His or her powers of observation should be so highly developed that guidance in traffic driving is gained from such things as reflections in shop windows, or a conductor’s hand raised to ring the bell to stop or start a bus. Cornering is one of the most important features of advanced driving. The vehicle

should be correctly positioned for maximum visibility at the approach to a bend. It should not be too close to a kerb or too far out in the road, so that it is impossible to take the correct and safe line round a bend.

Among the most persistent faults noted in many British drivers today are cutting corners or taking them too wide, approaching bends too quickly, taking insufficient care at quiet cross-roads, and making insufficient use of the driving mirror and signals. Other common faults exposed by the advanced test are cutting in and overtaking at a dangerous time or place.

The advanced driver is expected to be always on the right part of the road, in the

correct gear, travelling at a speed consistent with safety and prevailing conditions. He will maintain a safe distance from a preceding vehicle at all times, and position himself correctly before attempting to overtake. He will have a knowledge of road signs and signals and conform to them, and apply the teaching of the highway code, particularly in extending courtesy.

The candidate is also expected to give a simple running commentary when driving, expressing aloud his observations and intentions. The fee for taking the advanced test is £2 12s 6d. Membership of the institute, if the driver passes the test, costs an annual subscription of £1 Is.