Learner driver test interrupted by police over instructor's car

West Midlands Police

A learner driver had not made any minor faults in her test and was on course to pass - until the instructor's uninsured car was stopped by police.

The learner and examiner were pulled over during the driving test in east Birmingham, on Saturday.

West Midlands Police then checked the car and found it also had no MoT. They later seized the car.

The force's road policing unit said the student would have passed the test had it not been interrupted, as no mistakes had been recorded.

The driving examiner and student were taken back to the test centre, where the driving instructor was questioned by police.

The Instructor a 46 year old female admitted knowing the car was not insured but denied knowing the car had no MoT, said police.

Police seized the car and took the driving instructor's badge. She was reported to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVLA) and will need to provide valid insurance and MoT documents to police at a later date.

Teenager becomes first to pass UK driving test using a sat nav

Credit: SWNS

Grant Ferguson, 17, has become the first person in the UK to pass his driving test – using a sat nav.

His local driving test centre was chosen as one of 20 in the UK to trial the revised practical exam with the help of a GPS navigation system.

The examiner set up a route on the device for the first twenty minutes of the test and Grant followed the sat nav verbal instructions - with the instructor still in the vehicle.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) expects 1000 learner drivers will take part in the revised tests which are set to continue until the end of the year. If successful, it could be the biggest shake up of the test in almost 20 years! the last big change was when the written theory exam was introduced in 1996.

Grant Said:

"I had been learning to drive for about a month when the opportunity came up to try out the new test. I felt like I was part of an important change. I'll definitely be buying a sat nav because that's what I know and it gives you a bit of freedom to go where you want.
I was a bit relieved that I didn't have to do the reverse around the corner in the test."

 

The changes could see the three-point turn and reversing round a corner scrapped. These will be replaced with more commonplace manoeuvres such as reversing out of a parking bay.

The DVSA say that candidates will also be asked safety questions while on the move, instead of at the start, and asked to operate switches such as screen heaters.

Motoring groups have urged caution in removing manoeuvres like a three-point turn,saying it can be essential if sat navs lead drivers down a dead end road.

What do you think? would this be a good permanent change, should tests just be made longer to include more rather than scrapping other useful things? alternatively should the range of things you could be asked to do increase to at least ensure the manouvres are learnt?

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