Should Driving Tests Be Based on a Realistic Scenario?
So they would give you the location of where you are driving to.
an Example of this would be you are SNSW Merrylands, so three days before they tell you via SMS and email to drive to aldi guidlford, and you must pass through and parallel park in Denmark street. You must also go down charlotte st and then do three point turn, then return to Service NSW Merrylands
I think they should not use a "defined" lap of a certain area that is done the same for every test and should be randomised.
They have a number of set routes, but as for which one you have no idea. As for what happens where along the route it's up to the tester so long as they do the minimum number of tests.
…so three days before they tell you…
So, you have three days to practice the run. No different to knowing the usual testing location and practicing that.
What happens if there isn't any parallel parking available in Denmark St?
What happens if there is road works, or an accident, on the defined route?
Can you use GPS? What if you don't have it?
an Example of this would be you are SNSW Merrylands, so three days before they tell you via SMS and email to drive to aldi guidlford
What? Heck no, man. The test instructor can do his grocery shopping on his own time.
Driving tests are based on realistic scenarios - annoying passengers who don't know where the hell they're going, backseat driving. Pretty realistic to me!
'Ok, up here I want you to turn left'
'Now right'
'Now sorry, a u-turn'
'Ok, I think we might just pull over by this park'
sets up parallel markers
'Alright, now I want to see you exit, re-enter and exit the same park again'
See - sounds like a Saturday drive to virtually any place - house hunting, kid's sports, you name it.
Although there should also be kids in the backseat, and if you don't threaten to "turn this car around right now", then you don't pass.
Driving schools teach the students where the driving tests routs are and what normally are done for the various routes.
So if you want to find out the driving routes for a particular testing place hire a driving school based in the same or very close suburb to the testing place for a few hours over a month or two.
I thought the aim was to create confident, competent drivers.
And pass the test hopefully first go.
This is 100% true.
Believe it or not i got my red P's at Merrylands NSW and did a few lessens with a local instructor, he taught me the exact route and had no trouble passing the first time.
There is no route, it is just you need to go here, you choose your own way, then the go here, do this, then go here do this, go back to SNSW
the route is your choice, you can choose which roads you like, as long as you end up in the place within a reasonable amount of time, you have to do your own research / practice etc.
so three days before they tell you via SMS and email to drive to aldi guidlford, and you must pass through and parallel park in Denmark street.
What if there are no spots in Denmark Street? Is it an automatic fail? Can you park in the 'no stopping' zone just for testing purposes? Is it ok to do the park somewhere else?
Can you imagine living on Denmark Street?
I live in an area that truck driving schools just love practicing hills starts. Infuriating at the best of times.
Driver training should be akin to what is taught in many European nations, how to actually control a car and develop extensive driver skill. Driver education in Australia is an absolute joke. Drive slow, look multiple times in your mirror, parallel park and most importantly have someone such as a parent who could have horrible driving habits be your primary educator and then you're off! Qualified to handle a 2-tonne potential missile. Yet most Australian's have been brainwashed to think that 'speed is the enemy'. Spend any time driving in Western Europe or do some driver training courses yourself and you'll get an idea of how much skill and knowledge is dangerously missing from Australian roads.
As a last-minute addition, at least 10 hours of watching Dash cams Australia with clear 'don't do dumb shit like this' follow ups.
what's the point of this post? whether they should or should not - we are not here to make a change.
sorry mate, all the best for your next test, once you pass all these thoughts will go away.
then there would be complaints that not everyone gets the same test
Its like with marriage. How elaborate, expensive and difficult the ritual you have to go through to go through to get the licence doesn't seem to make a lot of difference in the long run. Whatever short term effect there might be quickly fades, and other factors decide the long term result.
Let it all out mate.
If should be the opposite. Test a driver in an environment thy aren’t familiar with. See how they cope without knowing the area.
Having said that, recently took a learner to practice a bit for test route a few times. Think it helped being a little familiar with the area.
"Drive to Sydney CBD Sussex street, find a parallel parking spot on Sussex street, purchase pork bun from haymarket centre, then proceed to Circular Quay and make a purchase at Messina. If you are unable to find a street side parking at Circular Quay (parallel only) during office lunch peak hour of 11-2pm, you will fail".
the route should include many different road types, which it never does.
highway
motorway
local street
local road
main road
Driver training and testing is one of those areas where the obvious answers that people think are common sense just aren't true.
I thought that what I thought on the subject was just common sense. Then I got involved in the road safety community. And while I kept a lot of the ideas I came in with, driver training and testing turned out to be one where the research had been done, and it was convincing.
It turns out that if you get three young people, one with lots of pre-licence experience and skills, one with a a moderate amount, and one with just the minimal skills required to not get in everyone else's way, and give them a licence, the one with lots and skills and experience is not the safest one, but the one that is most likely to have a serious crash. Because they are the one who is most likely to be OVER-confident, and continually test their skills and limits by driving too fast and showing off. A lack of basic skills might result in more small bingles, but it is over-confidence that causes major ones. Give young men lots of driving skills, and they can't resist showing them off to their peers, and inevitably making big mistakes.
It makes perfect sense when you know that the big crashes are rarely caused by lacking the necessary skills, but by stupid young men doing stupid things involving testing the skills they have to the limit, and sometimes going past it. So, perhaps counter-intuitively, more skilled does not mean more safe. Being able to get there faster does not mean more likely to get there.
Young men will continue to do stupid stuff to show off. It’s inherent.
No idea how to combat it, but I’m fairly certain that reducing time required behind the wheel before giving them a licence won’t work.
Might as well SMS reply with…
That would be a realistic scenario. Don't forget a gold coin for the trolley on test day.