DRIVING TESTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26717, 11 March 1948, Page 5

DRIVING TESTS

ROUTE VARIATIONS CONFIDENCE THE MAIN FACTOR The rock walls of Bute street, scarred by the hopeful practice runs of hundreds of motoring tyros in years past, may have some respite from their activity as it is intended to vary the trial course for a driver’s licence in future. When a suggestion made to the Daily Times that a static trial route offered too great an opportunity for rehearsal was referred to the City Corporation’s Chief Traffic Inspector, Mr E. H. Barrett, yesterday, he stated that it had been the practice to vary the route from time to time. It was intended, however, that greater variations should be made in future. The fact that many applicants for licences had familiarised themselves with the course beforehand did not necessarily detract from the value of the route, he said. The rehearsal would automatically give valuable experience, and Dunedin’s place at the head of the “ freedom from accidents list ” indicated that the driving licences were not given to poorly qualified applicants. The test given in Dunedin had always been regarded as a stiff one, and there had not been any relaxation during the period of petrol rationing. Now that rationing had returned, it was hoped to work out test courses which would involve a minimum of waste running without jeapordising the efficiency of the test. Mr Barrett suggested that applicants for licences living within the semisuburban townships adjacent to the city should also be tested by the city authorities, as it was probable that 'much of their driving would be done in the city.

It has been pointed out, however, that the Transport Department officers who, carry out the majority of the tests outside the city are required to follow a standard test and that applicants who pass this test should be qualified to meet feny traffic conditions. They might not have had the practical experience with city traffic, but one of the points to be taken into consideration by the test official under the standard formula is the general confidence and demeanour of the applicant. Without such apparent confidence, a licence would not be granted until’the driver had had more practice and gained confidence, and a confident and level-headed driver should have no difficulty in heavier traffic than that to which he had previously been accustomed. In addition, it was unlikely that an inexperienced driver Vould avoid heavy traffic as far as possible until he had grown accustomed to driving in congested areas.