Driving test hits 70 years old

And still drivers don't know how to move left...

By PH Staff / Monday, 18 April 2005 / Loading comments

Middle lane morons

It's the 70th anniversary of the driving test. In 1935, there were 3,835 fatalities on the roads -- more than 2003's count despite the number of vehicles having increased 12-fold.

Before driver testing started, you only got basic training before being allowed to drive away although, from 1903 onwards, drivers had to buy a licence for 20 shillings (£1 in new money).

Of course, the driving test has come in for a good degree of stick in recent years, since it still fails to train drivers adequately how to deal with unusual situations or motorways, for example.

The government clearly believes that the test is tougher and therefore better than it was on its introduction, as some 20 per cent fewer drivers pass than the 63 per cent who did in those days, although it's hovered between 45 and 50 per cent since 1960.

Around the same as the new driving test, the government also published The Highway Code. Drivers were advised to toot the horn when overtaking -- there weren't compulsory mirrors in those days -- and much the booklet covered what to do when a horses got uppity on meeting a motor vehicle.

The code's emphasis has changed of course: over a third of the original booklet given over to hand signals until fairly recently. When was the last time you saw someone give a hand signal -- before manoeuvring, and not abusive? From May 1975, test candidates no longer had to demonstrate arm signals.