John MacDonald: We need to do a much better job of training drivers

I don't know about you, but when I went for my driver’s licence back in the day I reckon I would’ve been mortified if I failed. These days, though, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Because, these days, every second person who does their practical driving test fails.

Which says to me that we’re doing a hopeless job of training drivers. The Government sees it differently, though, and it’s taking the easy option and it’s going to make it free for people to re-sit their tests.

Which will mean people can just keep turning up, giving it a go a second, third, fourth go and hopefully hitting the jackpot one day and getting their licence.

But I think that, instead of making it cheaper to get a licence, the Government should be investing money in driver training.

Not that I’m completely innocent of taking the easy route to getting my licence.

I remember getting my motorbike licence very clearly. I was 16 and I heard about this scheme where you’d go to a few extra lessons on motorbike safety - there were about four sessions I think - and, once you’d done that, you’d get your full motorbike licence. Instead of having to wait however long it took normally to get your full licence.

So I remember thinking ‘I’ll have a bit of that’ and enrolled for the course, did my four Saturday sessions and then, on the last day, a traffic cop turned up to take us all through our paces.

And what a joke that was. Because he told us all we were all going to go for a ride together around the area and then, those of us he thought were up to it, would get our full licence.

It was a joke because, as soon as he’d said this, he took off on his motorbike and we all followed him.

I don’t know how much he saw in his rear-view mirror but he must’ve had a camera in the back of his helmet or something because after 15-20 minutes following him around he told us we’d all passed.

I don’t have such vivid memories of getting my car licence, but I do know I got that first-time around as well. In fact, I can’t remember too many people failing at all.

Different story these days, though. With 50 percent of people who go for their practical driving test failing the first-time.

And so the Government has decided that it’s going to make it easier for them to re-sit by doing away with the re-sitting fee.

But I think it’s a classic case of “cart before the horse”. Because, surely, if so many people aren’t meeting the standard first-time around when they go for their practical, then they’re not ready are they?

And if they’re not ready, then they’re not being trained properly. And that is what the Government should be focusing on. Because, at the moment, you can learn to drive from anyone.

You can spend money and go to an instructor or you can do it for free and get anyone else with a licence to teach you. Which can be pretty fraught at times, can’t it? And aside from the tantrums, it means all us “experienced drivers” just end up passing on our bad habits.

One of mine that I only really became aware of when our kids were learning to drive, was cutting the corner turning right at an intersection. So I wasn’t going forward far enough before turning right, to drive between the gap in the centre line and not cross the centre line before turning.

Hadn’t thought about it. But I do now.

Which is why I think that instead of making it cheaper to get your licence, the Government should be putting money into driver training and making it compulsory for people to learn to drive from qualified instructors. Not us know-alls who think we are God’s gift to motoring - when we are clearly not.

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