Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
Wednesday, October 30, 2002 By SARA CALIAN and STEVE STECKLOW Staff Reporters of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL LONDON -- When John Plott, who lives near Glasgow, recently passed his British driving test, he didn't say a word to the examiner, not even thanks. "Basically I wanted to get out of the motor car before he changed his mind," he says. It's easy to understand why. Mr. Plott had failed the test 15 times before. Think driving on the left side of the road is difficult? Try getting a British driver's license. The "dreaded test," as one car-insurance ad calls it, is a nerve-wracking process that takes months of preparation and practice -- and can end up costing $1,000 or more. It also calls for such maneuvers as driving backwards around a corner and up the street along the curb. Touch the curb with the wheel and you flunk. Most test-takers don't cut it. Britain's pass rate is under 44% and falling. That makes driving tests in places such as New York, where 61% of drivers pass, seem a relative breeze. Britain's Driving Standards Agency, the government entity that administers the test, isn't satisfied. While Britain has one of the world's lowest auto fatality rates, the agency is concerned because nearly 20% of new drivers get into crashes within a year of passing the test. So the agency has decided to make getting a driver's license even tougher. In addition to a 35-question computerized exam on driving regulations and a 40-minute "practical" road test conducted in traffic, starting Nov. 14 applicants also will have to survive a video-simulation test that measures reaction times to filmed hazards. Agency officials concede the new video requirement isn't going to make getting a license any easier, so they recommend applicants take special classes just for that. "If they don't take any training, you could see the pass rate tumble quite a lot," warns Robin Cummins, the government's chief driving examiner. That's particularly bad news for Americans living in Britain. While citizens of other European Union countries can exchange their licenses for a British one, Americans, within a year of moving here, are supposed to take the test. But many don't, largely because of horror stories told by people who have tried. "It's humiliating," says Justine Griffiths, a sculptor from California who last year took the test at her Welsh husband's urging. She had been driving here illegally for eight years using her U.S. license. "I'm 42 years old. I've been driving for 20 years with a clean record, and I'm a mother of a nine-year-old. I cried because I failed my driving test. I felt like a failure in life." Ianthe Kallas-Bortz, a 46-year-old native New Yorker, refers to the two-year period she spent trying to acquire a British license as "the debacle." After four failed attempts, she finally gave up. But that didn't keep her off the road. She continued to drive for eight more years, without incident, then she moved back to the U.S. Indeed, because unlicensed drivers in Britain aren't uncommon, they are becoming a serious concern. Safety experts estimate there are at least half a million unlicensed drivers on Britain's roads, and many say it's because of the test. "There are definitely people who become so frustrated at not being able to pass the driving test that they drive without a license," says Andrew Howard, head of road safety for the AA, Britain's largest motor vehicle club. Another big deterrent is the cost. Applicants first must buy a provisional license for $45, which is required to practice. Since secondary schools don't offer driver education, most people enroll in driving schools, and take a dozen or more lessons at about $31 an hour. The computerized "theory" test costs $28. To pass, it helps to study a book published by the driving agency, since the book contains all the actual test questions. The cost: $19. The agency also plans to sell a $20 practice video for the new simulation test. The road test costs $61, unless you want to take it on a Saturday, in which case the fee rises to $75. But you can't take the test unless you have made a booking beforehand. Since test appointments often aren't available for two to three months, phone operators recommend calling every day to see whether there's a cancellation. Naturally if you fail the road test, you have to pay to take it again. It's little surprise that the Driving Standards Agency, which also offers motorcycle, truck, tractor and bus tests, last year reported a $5.8 million surplus, even though the number of people taking the car test has been falling. But Mr. Cummins, who says anyone who spends $900 to acquire a license is getting by "cheap," defends the costs, saying the agency is required to be self-supporting and therefore needs to be run as a business. How are young people supposed to afford a driver's license? Mr. Cummins isn't sympathetic. "Getting a driving license is not a rite of passage," he says. He adds that teenagers, who can get a license at 17, need to make priorities in their lives and determine, for example, whether they want to go to college or get a driving license. The costs, in fact, aren't that far apart; tuition at most British universities currently is $1,560 a year. On a recent midweek morning, a small group of drivers assembled in the waiting room of the driving-test center in Hendon, just north of London. All of them were accompanied by their instructors. For reasons only a bureaucrat could fathom, the tests all were scheduled for exactly 10:44 a.m., and at that moment a group of examiners bearing clipboards entered the room. One by one they accompanied the test-takers to their vehicles, leaving the instructors behind. For the next 40 minutes, each examiner directed a driver through the streets of Hendon, issuing a series of commands. "At the next roundabout" -- British for traffic circle -- "turn left." "Please pull over just past that car on the left. Now move on when you're ready." The examiners quietly made small marks on their clipboards, never revealing how the drivers were doing until the test was finished. But the test-takers know from their lessons that the examiners watch out for compliance with some of the peculiarities of British driving etiquette. Among them: When stopping at a red light, use the handbrake, not the foot brake. Never cross your hands when turning the steering wheel. And never, ever, wave to a pedestrian to signal that it's OK to cross the street. Even agency officials admit that many drivers ignore these rules as soon as the test is over. Upon returning to the agency's parking lot, the examiner ordered a test-taker to turn off the ignition. Then he looked down at his clipboard as the driver, who has been licensed in the U.S. for 30 years, awaited the verdict. "I'm sorry, but you didn't pass," the examiner said in a low voice. He cited two "serious" faults: The driver hadn't pulled completely into the right lane when instructed to make a right turn at a "mini-roundabout." And several times he had failed to check his rear-view mirror before using a turn signal. Why is it safer to take your eye off the road and look into a mirror before using a turn signal? Mr. Cummins later explained that the purpose is to avoid confusing the driver of another car who might be trying to overtake the vehicle. But the AA's Mr. Howard offers a different explanation: "It basically boils down to the fact the driving tests and the driving procedures were laid down in the 1920s, and the system does still basically assume that it's surprising that there's anybody behind you." http://online.wsj.com/article_email/...960871,00.html |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
[email protected] wrote:
> > "It's humiliating," says Justine Griffiths, a sculptor from California > who last year took the test at her Welsh husband's urging. She had > been driving here illegally for eight years using her U.S. license. > "I'm 42 years old. I've been driving for 20 years with a clean record, > and I'm a mother of a nine-year-old. I cried because I failed my > driving test. I felt like a failure in life." And her psychological problems are the fault of the UK driving test precisely how ? I do have a problem with this kind of crap where no-one is allowed to fail anything, everything must be easy enough so any idiot can pass it, etc. |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
wrote in message
news:[email protected]... > Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain By complete contrast, getting my US licence was too easy... 20 questions, a rudimentary eye exam and once around the block and back to the DMV. At least the examiner knew I could make a right turn... --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.408 / Virus Database: 230 - Release Date: 10/25/2002 |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
wrote in message
news:[email protected]... > Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain > Most test-takers don't cut it. Britain's pass rate is under 44% and > falling. That makes driving tests in places such as New York, where > 61% of drivers pass, seem a relative breeze. And the result is :- The UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive. Bob |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
"Bob Builder" wrote in message
news:[email protected]... > And the result is :- > The UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive. > Bob If you can avoid the Americans Roy |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
wrote ...
> Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain > Most test-takers don't cut it. Britain's pass rate is under 44% and > falling. [snip] Sounds like The Netherlands, with a succesrate of 44,2% (and 44,6% a year ago, see: http://www.cbr.nl/corporate/index.html ). And furthermore it's wayyy too expensive and after spending all that money you'll get a temporary license for 5 years :-/ Greetz, *coffee!* |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
"Roy" wrote in message
news:[email protected]... > "Bob Builder" wrote in message > news:[email protected]... > > > > And the result is :- > > > > The UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive. > > > > > > Bob > > > > > If you can avoid the Americans > Roy And here I was thinking how poor the standard of driving has become on our roads:-) ATB JayDee |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
> and I'm a mother of a nine-year-old. I cried because I failed my
> driving test. I felt like a failure in life." Hey! So go ahead and litigate. |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
"Paul Robson" wrote in
message news:[email protected]... > [email protected] wrote: > > > > "It's humiliating," says Justine Griffiths, a sculptor from California > > who last year took the test at her Welsh husband's urging. She had > > been driving here illegally for eight years using her U.S. license. > > "I'm 42 years old. I've been driving for 20 years with a clean record, > > and I'm a mother of a nine-year-old. I cried because I failed my > > driving test. I felt like a failure in life." > And her psychological problems are the fault of the UK driving test > precisely how ? > I do have a problem with this kind of crap where no-one is allowed to > fail anything, everything must be easy enough so any idiot can pass it, > etc. PADI scuba certification... Has anyone EVER failed?? beefeater |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
I thought I heard that some people from Continental Europe go to the UK to
get driving licences because it is easier and cheaper in the UK than in many other European countries. |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
Have a word with David C...he is an expert in pointless litigation :-)
"BrianE" wrote in message news:[email protected]... > > and I'm a mother of a nine-year-old. I cried because I failed my > > driving test. I felt like a failure in life." > Hey! So go ahead and litigate. |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
On Wed, 30 Oct 2002 08:53:27 -0000, "Roy" wrote:
>"Bob Builder" wrote in message >news:[email protected]... >> And the result is :- >> The UK is one of the safest places in the world to drive. >If you can avoid the Americans And all the Britons who flunked the driving test :) --- Life is short - drive FAST! |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
The reason for that is this: We like to have a bunch of really crappy
drivers on our roads--and we do. That way, all of our cities and states can make more money from traffic tickets. It's an industry that, at least IMO, exists only in the U.S. I really don't think it has much to do with driving safety. It turns a lot of our highly trained policemen into revenue collectors most of the time. Damn shame. Maybe I'm blind, but I can't remember the last time I saw a cop giving a traffic ticket in the UK or Europe... ------------------------------ Bowe Custom eCommerce Santa Rosa, CA www.santarosa.nu "Daxx" wrote in message news:[email protected]... > wrote in message > news:[email protected]... > > Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain > By complete contrast, getting my US licence was too easy... 20 questions, a > rudimentary eye exam and once around the block and back to the DMV. At least > the examiner knew I could make a right turn... > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.408 / Virus Database: 230 - Release Date: 10/25/2002 |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
wrote in message
news:[email protected]... .... > LONDON -- When John Plott, who lives near Glasgow, recently passed his > British driving test, he didn't say a word to the examiner, not even > thanks. "Basically I wanted to get out of the motor car before he > changed his mind," he says. > It's easy to understand why. Mr. Plott had failed the test 15 times > before. A good reason to impose a maximum limit on the number of times you can sit the test. Anyone who takes that many tries to achieve the low level of skills needed to pass the test will probably never be a safe driver. .... > It also calls for such > maneuvers as driving backwards around a corner and up the street along > the curb. Touch the curb with the wheel and you flunk. Those are very basic vehicle handling skills. You don't even have to be able to park in a restricted space. While that was fine when I took my test - there were not many places outside the very centre of London where you could not just draw up to the kerb - it is a necessary skill in most places these days. > Most test-takers don't cut it. Britain's pass rate is under 44% and > falling. That makes driving tests in places such as New York, where > 61% of drivers pass, seem a relative breeze. This is a typically meaninigless use of statistics. The difference between the pass rates in Britain and those in New York might be a measure of the relative toughness of the tests, but it could also be that New Yorkers don't take a test until they are much better prepared than the average Briton. One thing not mentioned is the relatively high number of UK tests where the examiner has to take action to prevent an accident. .... > So the agency has decided to make getting a driver's license even > tougher. In addition to a 35-question computerized exam on driving > regulations and a 40-minute "practical" road test conducted in > traffic, starting Nov. 14 applicants also will have to survive a > video-simulation test that measures reaction times to filmed hazards. Sounds a lot more scientific than knowing that the examiner will hit the dash with his clipboard as soon as you get up to any speed on a clear road with no traffic behind you. .... > Another big deterrent is the cost. Applicants first must buy a > provisional license for $45, which is required to practice. Since > secondary schools don't offer driver education, most people enroll in > driving schools, and take a dozen or more lessons at about $31 an > hour. If you hope to pass, it should be a lot more - at least one hour per year of age, with a minimum of 20 hours is recommended. .... > How are young people supposed to afford a driver's license? Same way I did when I was 17 - get lots of small jobs to bring in extra money so I could afford the lessons. ... > Why is it safer to take your eye off the road and look into a mirror > before using a turn signal? It would be better to turn into the path of another vehicle you didn't know was there? Colin Bignell |
Re: Getting a Driver's License Is a Royal Pain in Britain
" Bruce Bowe" wrote in message
news:[email protected]... > Maybe I'm blind, but I can't remember the last time I saw a cop giving a > traffic ticket in the UK or Europe... The UK is covered with fixed roadside speed cameras that read your number plate and send out fixed penalty notices for £60 ($100) plus 3 penalty points [12 and you get a driving ban]. Bob |
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