The Hindu : Karnataka News : Learners may face four tests

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Saturday, May 10, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka

Learners may face four tests

Learner car drivers in the U.K. may face four separate tests instead of the present two under an overhaul of the training and testing regime designed to slash accidents among newly qualified motorists.

The practical and theory tests could each be split into two parts, according to government proposals. Learners will also be expected to be able to drive in bad weather and at night, and to get a certificate saying that they are ready for a test. There will be no requirement for all training to be under an instructor.

Department for Transport officials expect, however, that it will take months to undergo training and tests, instead of the few days in which it is possible now. As expected, a government consultation document has come down against night-time curfews on new drivers carrying passengers or raising the minimum driving age to 18.

Road deaths and injuries in the U.K. have fallen by a third since the mid-1990s but casualty rates for young drivers have not changed. A fifth of new drivers have an accident within six months of passing the test.

Ruth Kelly, Transport Secretary, said: “Too many new drivers are involved in road accidents and are not fully prepared for driving alone ... We must make sure that novice drivers are safe drivers when they have passed their test.” — © Guardian Newspapers Limited, 2008

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