Is it getting easier to get a driving licence?

The driving test is a rite of passage undertaken by all motorists and one that has struck down plenty of competent motorists on their first attempt with a mixture of fear and loathing. The world’s very first driving licence was issued to Karl Benz - he of Mercedes fame - upon request from the local authorities of Mannheim, Germany. Interestingly enough, though the driving licence has existed in the UK since 1903, the driving test was not introduced until 1934. The purpose of these early licences was simply to confirm the driver had permission to use a car on public roads.





Since those early days, the licence has become a mandatory confirmation of the legal right of a person to drive a car upon completion of the minimum defined standards for competency on the road. Recently, the driving test has been under renewed scrutiny as new legislation has changed the minimum distance from which a motorist must be able to read a license plate. With this, the eyesight test for driving is set to shrink, reducing the distance to 57ft and five inches (17.5m); a difference of some 15ft (a car's length), as opposed to the 75ft (23m) when the eyesight test was first introduced in 1937.

Older drivers will mutter that this will make UK roads even more unsafe and point to accident statistics which indicate that nearly 50 percent of accidents with driver fatalities in the UK are classified as involving young drivers. This is the vulnerable 17-29-year-old age bracket and with the amount of drivers on British roads ever increasing, some may say it seems as if the roads are becoming increasingly more unsafe.





The reality, however, is that the DVLA has, in fact, made the process of getting a licence much harder. The driving test has evolved over the years. It now includes a driving theory test, intended to measure the theoretical competence of drivers. Initially this was mocked as being too easy and just a glorified multiple choice test. Since its inception in 2002, the test has had a mere 43% first time pass rate however, and has been hailed as a success in educating the next generation of drivers.





It is only upon completion of this theory test that a practical driving test can be undertaken. The practical test is concerned with ensuring that a learner driver is capable of safe and independent driving for a period of 40 minutes, during which time standards are rigorously enforced, with drivers being failed instantly for any single instance of a "major" failure.





Despite the increasing demands of the driving test, what cannot be disputed is that many younger drivers lack the confidence and experience that comes with age. This takes time and years of practice to acquire. The purpose of the driving test is to give young drivers the solid foundations upon which they can build further experience and become safe and responsible drivers. After all, while replacement windscreens are a quick and easy affair, lives are irreplaceable.





Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.