There’s a story in the news today about the growing problem of imposters sitting practical driving tests. Apparently, it’s possible to hire a look-alike to sit the test for you for just £500.
You can read the article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6231892.stm
When I came to England, I found the driving test very difficult to pass. I ended up taking it seven times over two years (and I had been driving for over ten years in the States). Each time I failed, the examiner would tell me how very close I was, “but sorry, you didn’t pass.” When I did pass the test, I got a license that doesn’t expire until I’m 70. No more tests. Even if we have flying cars in the year 2042, I won’t mind because my license will still be valid. Even in the States, you have to renew with a written exam every five years or so, but not here.
Now that I spend a lot of time riding around on a motorcycle, I see how drivers rarely look when they change lanes or signal when they enter roundabouts. They’ve established bad habits since they earned their license 20 or 30 or 50 years ago. It’s dangerous.
But, when road accident levels get too high, everyone jumps to the same conclusionâour tests are not difficult enough. They increase the difficulty. When I took the test in my late twenties, everyone said to me “I passed when I was 17, but it wasn’t so difficult then. I could never pass today.” Between the time I took my theory test for cars 6 years ago and the time I took the theory test for motorcycles two months ago, the DSA had attached an additional requirementâThe Hazard Safety test. If you have a license already, you don’t have to take this test.
The roads are getting too dangerous so we take it out on 17 year-old kids who’ve never driven before by making sure they take their driving test over and over again. A 65 year-old man who took his test in the early 60’s if far more dangerous, I think. He’s the guy I worry about when riding my motorcycle.
No wonder people hire imposters to take their tests. I wish I knew about this scheme a few years ago.
