80 years ago, on June 1, Great Britain has launched the driving test and made it compulsory among driver's license hopefuls. Within only a year of introducing the test, the number of driving-related casualties was reduced by 1,000.
Prior to the driving test launch, there were only 1.5 million vehicles that were recorded to have hit the roads in the U.K. However, it was also recorded that more than 7,000 people had been involved in fatal incidents on the country's roads.
Over the years, a number of changes had been made on the driving test in the U.K. in order to maintain its relevance and keep it at pace with modern driving.
"The driving test is a significant rite of passage, giving greater freedom and independence to generations of people across Britain," said Lord Ahmad, Transport Minister at Wimbledon.
Some of the major changes seen on the driving test include the removal of hand signal testing in 1975; the introduction of a theory test in 1996 which replaced the questions in the practical driving test given by the examiner; the addition of a hazard awareness element to the theory test in 2002 wherein the candidates are given video clips in order to test their awareness of on-road hazards; the introduction of a ten-minute "independent driving" section in 2010 which requires candidates to display their knowledge in driving safely without receiving turn by turn instructions from their examiner; and the use of computer-made imagery instead of the filmed video clips that are used to test the candidate's hazard perception in January 2015 which allows incorporation of a bigger range of hazards and various driving environments.
"The driving test has adapted over the years to stay up to date with modern driving, and we continue to keep it under review to ensure it is as relevant and effective as possible," said Alastair Peoples, Chief Executive of Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.
In the U.K., it was noted that the first candidate who passed the driving test when it was introduced in 1935 was Mr. R Beere. That year, the pass rate was 63 percent as compared to the pass rate of 47 percent in 2014. Moreover, no test centers were found in 1935 which means that candidates would usually meet the driving examiner in places such as the town hall, the train station, or even the post office. During World War II, the test had to be suspended but was resumed on Nov. 1, 1946. The first driving test for automatic vehicle was set in 1969. Online booking of the theory test became available beginning in December 2001.
In some of the country's rural areas such as Lincolnshire, driving a car is deemed by the residents as a necessity. Some even attested on how getting a license has helped them land a job.
"I was 21 when I passed my test," said 32-year old Natalie Palmer of Sleaford. "I was coming towards the end of my training to be a teacher. You need a car to get to any job in Lincolnshire."
Photo: Karl Frankowski I Flickr
