KentOnline

bannermobile

News

Sport

Business

What's On

Advertise

Contact

Other KM sites

CORONAVIRUS WATCH KMTV LIVE SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTERS LISTEN TO OUR PODCASTS LISTEN TO KMFM
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
News

Back to driving school as tougher test looms

By: KentOnline reporter multimediadesk@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 17:44, 22 August 2008

Updated: 15:59, 02 May 2019

Would you pass a tougher driving test? The county's learner drivers could face much sterner examinations before they are let loose on the roads - if the Government gets its way.

A four-month public consultation on proposed changes to the driving test is in progress. If the plans go ahead, the new test will focus on safety ahead of mechanical manoeuvres.

According to the Department for Transport's latest figures, there were 802 injuries or deaths on Kent's highways in 2006-2007. Nationally, one in five deaths involves newly-qualified drivers and 750,000 learners pass their test every year.

Experienced drivers may be revelling in the knowledge that their days of lessons and test preparation are over - but one Kent driving instructor says that needs to change.

mpu1

Mike Howard, who runs the Alpha Driving School in Chatham, said: "The rules of the road change, the amount of traffic on the road increases, manoeuvres in the test have changed a lot.

"Going back into having to think about your driving, possibly every 10 years, would be a good thing."

• Well, we all know bad habits can dog our driving after years on the roads – but I thought I would see how I fared after a decade behind the wheel. You can see how I got on in the video at the top of this page.

More by this author

sticky

© KM Group - 2024