PLEASE READ - BIG CHANGES ARE BACK!! Planned changes to driver/rider training and testing Planned changes to driver and rider training and testing have been announced. A Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill has been drafted and will have to progress through the Northern Ireland Assemblys legislative process before the changes can come into effect. Proposed changes Some of the possible changes being considered are outlined below. Applying for a provisional licence you will be able to get a provisional licence at age 16 and a half you will need to have a provisional licence for at least a year before you can sit your first practical test you will not be able to get a full licence before you are 17 and a half Driving lessons you may take lessons on motorways when you are accompanied by an Approved Driving Instructor in a dual-controlled car you will no longer be required to drive at or below 45 mph as a learner or restricted driver your driving test will include driving on a wider range of roads at up to the posted speed limits you must complete the new Learning to Drive course and produce the student logbook, signed by your Approved Driving Instructor (ADI), before you sit your first practical test New drivers and riders R plates will be replaced by N (for ‘New’ driver/rider) plates which you must display for two years as a new driver (under 24 years old) you will not be allowed to carry passengers aged 14 to 20 (except immediate family members) during the first six months after you have passed your driving test and got your full licence this restriction will not apply if there is a supervising driver (aged 21 years or older and who has held a full driving licence for three years) in the front passenger seat there will be exemptions for appropriately trained emergency services drivers you will have to take a remedial course if, as a new driver, you are at risk of having your licence revoked because you have accumulated six or more penalty points AND THERES MORE........ The three-point turn could be dropped from the UK driving test as part of biggest update to the exam in 20 years. Under a revised practical exam, learners may also be asked to use a satellite navigation system instead of following road signs. About 1,000 learners will take part in a trial of a new practical exam. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency said any eventual changes would be subject to full public consultation. We are carrying out initial research to explore how the driving test could better reflect real-life driving, said a DVSA spokesman. The DVSA is an agency of the Department for Transport and sets the standards for driving and motorcycling in the UK. The theory test was introduced in 1996 and a section where motorists are asked to find their own way to a destination - aimed at assessing independent driving - in 2010. Under the other changes being considered, drivers may no longer need to reverse around a corner. The DVSA said drivers may instead be asked to focus on more realistic everyday manoeuvres, such as reversing out of a parking bay, or re-joining the flow of traffic from the side of a road. But reverse parking - either into a parking bay or parallel parking - would remain as one of the manoeuvres candidates could be asked to perform, a spokesman said. The two vehicle-safety questions are currently asked at the start of the test. In future, one these may be asked while the candidate is driving. The DVSA said a candidate, for example, may be asked to show how they would operate the rear heated screen while driving.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Nov 2014 10:12:53 +0000
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