"Threats at gunpoint are not rare," Jean-François Verdier told a press conference at the Ministry of Transport in Paris, "and other attacks have included physical assault, damaged vehicles, arson and threats of rape and murder. Candidates who have failed their driving test before sometimes arrange for their friends to meet them at the end of the exam, so they can all attack the examiners and their cars together if they fail again. That?s why we?ve decided to introduce a twenty-four-hour cooling-off period for all learner drivers, before they find out whether or not they?ve passed their test."
Verdier, a transport ministry official, was speaking about a driving test system that was introduced in parts of France last year, and may soon become nationwide policy. "Attacks on examiners are common here, because most candidates fail their driving test first time. It?s not unusual for them to take it eight or ten times before they pass, and many French people don?t like it when the authorities keep frustrating their ambitions. But in those parts of the country where the candidates are not informed of the result until the next day, the number of assaults has greatly decreased. That?s why we?re thinking of extending that policy throughout France, although quite a lot of our examiners say that they?re still being threatened and attacked, even after the cooling-off period has ended." (Reuters, 16/4/02. Spotter: Douglas Ball)
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Although still fairly rare in this county, attacks on driving examiners have been on the increase in recent years, to the extent that all test centre waiting rooms now have a notice reiterating the DSA's policy of prosecuting all such offenders.
Thankfully, everyone I have taken on test has accepted the examiners descision, even if they complained bitterly on the way home afterwards. I must admit to having been worried about the potential reaction of one or two of the more volatile characters I have taken up, but so far so good.
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Should be like Germany, three attempts and thats your lot (or at least it used to be like that, not sure now though).
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Why? To obtain a licence you have to satisfy an examiner that you are safe and competent behind the wheel, and until you do you don't get a pass. Whether you do that first time or fifth has no bearing whatsoever in your future safety record as a driver. I have never seen any stats which show that the safest drivers are those who learn the quickest.
As regards Germany, if you fail three tests you are required to attend classroom tuition before taking any more. This includes psychological profiling of some sort to assess if your attitude needs to alter. Not that it seems very effective, their fatal accident rate is higher than ours.
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There was a nice story somewhere recently about the driving test in China. To do it the proper official way you have to go and spend three weeks in an army camp on top of a mountain and start off by driving trucks with no guarantee of qualifying at the end of it. But you can also go to a commercial driving school. Trouble is, the commercial driving schools will take the money and give you an instant pass with no instruction. So the death rate on China's roads is huge and rising.
HJ
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HJ,
Every day their are adverts in our local press for "pass your drivers [sic] easily".
The guys are taken to out-of-the-way places, driven back and forth, and get a Class 11 license (ie HGV 3) for a few bucks.
Despite being exposed time and again on TV and in the press, the adverts are still their... and doubtless are the testing stations! Given that 50% of the drivers on our roads have no license/a dodgily issued one, no wonder people in better-off neighbourhoods get nailed for traffic offences.
BTW, I have to go and get the credit-card license next week - come september, my existing license (issued 20 odd years ago) becomes invalid.
If I don't get the new one (cost of a tank of petrol, and an eye test, and a few pics, and an hour wait) I will face a retest, a fine (5 tanks of petrol), and have my existing license declared illegal, etc.
Makes you think who our local plod are targetting ...
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Was it Clarkson who took his 'test' in India a while back? I seem to remember that it involved mostly driving in a straight line...
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When I find time I'll tell you above the Philippines' driving test.....very few people pass it because not many take it. |The reason for this is that you don't really need it to get your license. For a small fee all that bother can be waived. Foreigners must take it normally because they do not know how to drive like Filipinos. There is a written test. The answers to this are posted on the wall in the toilet at the test center, just tip the attendant after you zip up. However everyone MUST take a drugs test. There is absolutely no way out of producing a certificate to get your license. A trip to one of the testing centers can be avoided, however, since there are plenty of obliging gentlemen who will take the drugs test on your behalf. This is also handy, since if you do happen to have been high the night before, your test taken the next day is guaranteed to be negative. There are actually not that many accidents on Philippine roads. Speed limits are unnecessary as well, simply because the traffic makes it impossible to go much faster than about 60 kph for any length of distance. All of which much prove something.
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And the UK-based get riled about speed cameras and speed bumps...
:>)
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