DRIVING CERTIFICATES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19081, 28 July 1925, Page 11

DRIVING CERTIFICATES.

TESTS FOR COMPETENCY.

DIFFERENCE IN CONDITIONS,

MOUNT EDEN AND THE CITY.

Worso than a visit to the dentist is the ordeal through which an aspirant for a certificate of competency to drive a motor-ear is required to pas 3. The great majority of motorists submit to the test conscious of multitudinous weaknesses, aud failures at tho first attempt are numerous. Until recently, tho only body issuing drivers' certificates was the Auckland City Council. Acting under authority given by tho Motor Vehicles Act, tho Mount Eden Borough Council has been conducting its own tests and issuing certificates. Already several hundred motorists have secured their driving licenses from the Borough Council. This has led to much speculation regarding tho relative stringency of tho tests used by the City Council and tho Mount Eden Borough Council. Drivers who have been refused certificates after a clumsy performance before a City Council traffic inspector have mado thair second application successfully bofore tho Borough Council official. As a consequence it is now common knowledge among professional teachers of driving that their pupils are more likely to give a creditablu performance at Mount Eden. Less Traffic fR Suburbs. Observations taken yesterday of the performances of two applicants for certificates, one in tho city and the other at Mount Eden, confirm tho idea that greater skill may be necessary to qualify under the supervision of the City Council's inspector. This is in no way due to any laxity in the test used by the Mount Eden Borough Council, but is entirely attributable to the lighter traffic conditions. Every manoeuvre required in tho city has to bo performed at Mount Eden with equal skill. The difference between satisfying conditions in narrow city streets and in the broad and almost deserted Mount Eden thoroughfares, is, however, a consideration which the applicant, for a certificate is not likely to overlook. Armed with a license issued in the borough, the novico driver might conceivably lack the requisite skill to traverse the main city thoroughfares. In both cases under observation yesterday afternoon, the applicants were fairly confident of their ability to fulfil requirements Their optimism was justified and both were issued certificates of competency. At Mount Eden the testing was supervised by tho captain of tho local firo brigade, Mr. C. R. Surman, who directed the course. The Route Followed. Leaving tho Borough Council offices in Valley Road, tho driver proceeded uphill and turned into Mount Eden Road over tho tramlines. There was uo moving traffic in sight and nothing to embarrass the most nervous driver. Proceeding down Mount Eden Road, and passing onemoving vehiclo en route, the car was turned into Grange Road. The testing officer commanded a sudden halt and tho driver displayed his agility with the brakes. Turning down Henley Road and into Richmond Street, no traffic was encountered. Another stop was requested and the driver instructed to reverse into a gateway. Passing through Rocklands Avenue, tho vehicle crossed the tram lines into Dominion Road. One stationary tramcar and an approaching motor-lorry wero tho only traffic problems facing the man at tho wheel until he successfully overtook and passed a horse and cart. On approaching Valley Road, a tramcar and a solitary motor-car in. motion were passed, and tho turn into Valley Road was accomplished without any call on tho driver's resource. After reaching a speed of about 25 miles an hour up tho grade nearing the starting _ point, the testing officer called another sudden halt. The driver was thus compelled to exercise his knowledge of tho gears in starting off on the slope. An abortive attempt to proceed without releasing tho hand-brako earned the driver a word of well-meant reproof. " Like all young men, you show a tendency to cut corners too fine," was tlie parting caution of the official in issuing the license. Contrast in the City. A contrast was provided in the testing of ah applicant by a member of the Auckland City Council's traffic staff. The evolutions of tho enr were the same, and (lie instructor's demands similar, but the congested streets certainly placed greater responsibilities on the man at tho wheel. Leaving the Town Hall, the driver was cautioned to obscrvo all rules of tho road and to sound tho horn. Crossing Upper Queen Street after stopping for inwardbound traffic, the driver proceeded into Rutland Street and thence to Lome Street. At tho junction of Welleslcy Street tho tram lines were crossed. In the continuation of Lorne Street the car was stopped behind tho Wellcsley Street Post Office and manoeurved in revcrso gear. Proceeding along Lome Street between lines cf parked cars and passing several moving vehicles, tho car turned out of theso narrow confines up Victoria Street East and into Kitchener Street. Behind tho Police Court in a narrow 18-foot road tho car had to be turned completely round. Moving down Courthouso Lane, one of tho narrowest streets in Auckland, tho driver then turned into High Street and again traversed Lorne Street and Rutland Street in returning to tho starting point. It is interesting to obscrvo that the (Jest at Mount Eden occupied over a quarter of an hour and the distanco run was about three miles. The city test look about seven minutes and probably less than a milo was traversed.