Proposed test for young drivers tough as full exam

The skills needed to pass the proposed new test for a restricted licence are equal or greater to those needed for the current full exam, experts have said.

The Automobile Association says it will also be impossible to fluke a pass.

A tougher restricted driving exam was part of the Government's road safety strategy aimed at reducing accidents among young drivers.

The AA said a new practical exam would go beyond the task of driving to being able to identify hazards and respond to them - a very similar task to the current full licence test.

Road safety consultant Peter Sheppard said young drivers "would get a shock" if they thought they could breeze through the proposed test simply on good car control.

"It's likely they'll have to drive through a number of road and traffic situations, congested areas, open road speed areas, and the driver must describe what is going on around the vehicle at all times."

The current restricted licence test is a 30-minute drive in low-speed, congested and open road conditions. The examiner judges whether you can control your car and asks the driver to do several tests such as parallel parking, reversing round a corner, a three-point turn, and merging into traffic. Drivers must score 80 per cent to pass.

The new test will examine all of these skills, as well as having to identify potential and actual hazards.

"Young drivers cannot understand what is risky and what is not risky. They have a tendency to overestimate their ability and underestimate risk," Mr Sheppard said.

He said it sounded simple, but teenagers would need to complete the Government's recommended 120 hours of practice to be ready to sit the exam.

"It is not just manual skills. Having this knowledge, this experience, requires development of the frontal lobe. Teenagers need to build this up."

Hazard detection was more prominent in the current full licence test, which may also take a different form under the proposals.

The AA said the full licence test could be used to confirm the driver has ingrained safe driving habits.

Mr Sheppard said the proposed restricted exam could be influenced by the safety programme Inside Driving.

The programme makes young drivers respond to high pressure situations, such as controlling a skid.

AA spokesman Simon Lambourne said the association hoped the Government would extend the required period between learner and restricted licences to 12 months.

The Government's road safety strategy Safer Journeys reported young drivers who did 120 hours of supervised driving practice in all conditions before driving solo could cut their crash risk by up to 40 per cent.

Currently learner drivers are estimated to do about 50 hours of supervised practice.