Why is this in the driving test?

[TVRBRZ]

TVRBRZ Jnr is learning to drive. One of the potential assessed manoeuvres is to move over to the other side of the road (facing oncoming traffic) and then reverse two cars lengths.

I used the omnipotent YouTube to look at the manoevre and there is an instruction video from a school showing it. In the vid you see 2-3 cars barreling along and having to stop when they see they are blocked by the school car facing them on their side of the road. All seems a bit daft if not dangerous to me.

Occasionally I have driven over to the rh side and then reverse parallel parked. Not perfect as I am then facing the wrong way and driving out is awkward for vision, but then if you see a spot when parking is scarce you do what you need to do to grab the space.

I'm struggling to see a situation where I would replicate the test manoevre in the real world. Why is this in the test and what happened to the good old 3 point turn and reversing round a corner?

Thanks! (the luddite who passed 35 years ago and hasn't given it a thought since!)

[TVRBRZ]

Thanks Caiss4.

Extrapolating the same logic (test reflects driving behaviour), will we see mid lane hogging and using fog lights in rain in future years.....?

[TVRBRZ]

Interesting about the petition from the instructors and examiners. The financial logic of speeding up the test firs, as does more time assessing independent driving on busier roads, but that is still pretty appalling to introduce an exercise that puts the instructor/examiner, student and the other road user they meet in danger.

Hopefully it will never happen but it would be a press to test if there was a fatality due to the exercise being performed and the family of the deceased were to sue the DVSA for bringing in a manoevre that is against the Highway Code.....

[TVRBRZ]

I'm glad to report that TVRBRZ Jnr passed his test first time with no minor errors. No need to do the reverse on the other side of the road.

So not something I shall fret about till Miss TVRBRZ needs to do the same in a few years.

I shall expect mid-lane hogging, foglamps on and driving at 50mph in both NSL and villages to be assessed by then. No doubt the only cars on sale will be PHEV or hybrid white SUVs and the parking will be done by the automated systems....

[TVRBRZ]

Majorslow said:

That is to his credit, it's very hard to get a no fault pass, in 6 years of teaching I have only had 4 (one was my daughter.... i felt sorry for her brother as there was no way he could beat her).

Secret now is for him to get through his first 12 months without a "dink".... or points

Ah that is nice to know, thank you Majorslow.

I'm a flying instructor by background and there are numerous studies that show the accident rate for newly qualified pilots. Once they are over 250 hrs the accident rate drops, has another spike at 500 hrs (overconfidence) and then gets lower as experience increases. I would imagine it is similar for new drivers. They way we "help" new pilots get through their early experiences is by recommending advanced training commensurate with experience.

TVRBRZ Jnr is now to be fed a diet of the Pass Plus scheme, skid pan experience and perhaps a rally or track day experience. Hopefully enhancing his skills will go hand in hand with advancing maturity and judgement.

Hopefully he will avoid some of the scrapes and muppetry his old man has had!

[TVRBRZ]

Sounds like a plan! Cheers!!!