It was fairly nerve-wracking sat on my sofa in the living room on a drab summer’s morning over 6 years ago, awaiting the arrival of a white Corsa. When it turned into our cul-de-sac, the butterflies in my stomach were the size of an angry flock of albatross’…the time had come. That white Corsa was the car in which I was going to use to learn how to drive…and that drab summer morning marked my first lesson. I sat in the passenger seat for the first portion of the lesson, being taught the basics (when to change gear, to check your mirrors regularly, etc.), then the moment came; “would you like to take the wheel?” As nervous as I was, I nodded my head and so it began. My first experience behind the wheel went quite well, although how I managed to keep a grip of the steering wheel I don’t know…my palms have never perspired so much. I’d like to think in the subsequent lessons I grew to be a fairly competent driver, bar the odd mistake or two. I guess the most important thing was that I eventually felt quite comfortable sat in the driver’s seat.
Of course, it was all building towards two dates of destiny…the theory and practical tests. I remember the anxiety I felt going into the theory test was very similar to that of an exam in school or college…I was certain I was going to blow it. So imagine my surprise when I discovered that I’d passed first time round…the relief was palpable. Which meant there was one more giant obstacle to go; that practical test. I recall sitting in a dingy waiting room, awaiting the call to go outside and begin the test…it was like that drab summer morning the year previous all over again. I was wracked with nerves but I kept it together. Unfortunately, I failed that first test…and I can’t begin to tell you how angry and frustrated I was with myself. I knuckled down and passed second time out, but since then I’ve always been curious as to just how many people pass that first driving test…and just what happens to those who fail subsequent tests.
The statistics make for some pretty painful reading for driving instructors around the country; the Driving Standards Agency’s (better known as the DSA) figures for 2010-2011 show that 54% of people failed their first driving test, meaning only 46% managed a pass. Personally I’m not particularly surprised with those numbers, as that first test is an incredibly daunting task that can get the best of the coolest of cucumbers. Obviously the figures can’t go into to detail as to why people tend to fail their first test, so the DSA revealed the top ten reasons for failure, or rather, the top ten things that drivers seem to mess up. Those of you about to take your first test listen closely; the list includes observation at junctions, reverse parking, use of mirrors, moving away, use of signals, incorrect positioning, reversing around a corner, lack of steering control, the three point turn and inappropriate speed.
Something else to consider along with that list is the potential loss of composure a driver may suffer from after making an error…that’s what cost me in my first test anyway. Everything was going quite well for the first portion of the test; I’d pulled off the first few manoeuvres without a problem. Then I turned into a main road that also doubled as a fairly steep hill…and it was there that my examiner asked me to perform a reverse park. I got into position, then suddenly there was a surge of traffic heading in both directions, forcing me to stop every few seconds or so. The constant stop starting caused me to lose track of where I was in relation to the space and I completely messed up the manoeuvre.
Instead of putting that mistake behind me, I let it eat away at me. “Of all the roads to pick, why this one?” continued to echo in my mind for the rest of the test. My composure began to waver, and not long after that mistake, I was asked to pull over…and proceeded to hit the curb, no doubt ruining the alloys. If I wasn’t gone already, I was by this point; I knew it was over and I’d failed the test. Funnily enough during my second test I was asked to reverse park on a hilly road again…only this time it wasn’t a main road. I pulled off the manoeuvre perfectly and in the process laid to rest some demons. So luck can come into it as well…sometimes you might get the rub of the green, other times you might not.
The further that you look into those DSA figures above, the more shocking they become…as the pass rate falls the more times candidates sit the test. Of the 300 people who sat their 10th test (admittedly if you reached that point it might be a time to consider other options…to state the obvious), just 88 of them passed. Of the 67 who took their 12th test, only 11 of them were successful. Finally, all 8 of those who took the test for the 15th time failed. The figures for the first three tests remained fairly steady, between 46-47%. Those figures plummet from the 4th attempt onwards…although rather bizarrely, 50% of those who took their 14th test passed…very strange indeed. I guess I was one of the lucky ones to pass the second time round…judging from those numbers, if I didn’t I might still be sat in that dingy waiting room, awaiting my hundredth test.
Is it possible for those stats above to significantly improve in future? I’d say there’s a chance; there’s always the possibility that there will be an influx of new drivers on the road who could handle the pressure of the test. Then again, I suppose there will always be those who let their nerves get the better of them, or who flap when they make a mistake; you can’t help human nature. I wouldn’t call these individuals bad drivers, as their ability should eventually carry them through. For those about to take their 10th, 15th test however…I’m not so sure. It’s admirable that these people are persistently pursuing that elusive pass, getting back on the horse after each fail…although I wonder if eventually they should literally try getting on a horse as an alternative form of transport…hell it worked for the cowboys.
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