Driving tests crash

[Jeld-Wen Falcon]

Last year I was having trouble getting my p's license, so were a at least 4 or 5 others who went 4+ times. This is what I found on the front of todays local paper.

Driving tests crash
By LUKE SAYER
05jun06

FOUR out of every five southern Tasmanians going for their licence could be wasting their money.

Just one in five southerners who sits a provisional licence test passes, well below the state average of about 55 per cent.

But Infrastructure Department land transport safety boss David Spence makes no apology for the high failure rate.

Mr Spence said the tests aimed to put the best drivers on the road in what was a very dangerous time for young people.

"The reason is quite simple: young people are going for their licence too early," he said.

"From our point of view it is a fundamental road safety issue and we can't afford to have them out there before they are ready.

"Hang on to your money until you're ready. You are wasting yours and your parents' money if you don't."

Mr Spence said while it was mandatory for learner drivers to log 50 hours on the road before they were tested, some learners needed even more experience.

The high failure rate was not a case of trying to put extra money in Government coffers, he said.

The test costs $49.95.

"We still have to pay our testing officers for taking someone for a re-test," Mr Spence said.

He said the Infrastructure Department provided information to help learner drivers and their supervising drivers decide when they were ready for a test.

But Robin Eccles from the VIP Driving School said he believed testing officers went out to deliberately fail young people.

"I can't tell you what motivates them, but they seem to throw up obstacle after obstacle," said Mr Eccles, who is vice president of the Australian Driver Training Association's Tasmanian branch.

He questioned discrepancies in pass rates between the South, which were as low as 20 per cent, and the North and North-West, which were much higher.

"Driving schools are up in arms about the tests," he said.

They were concerned the focus was not on a test that put better drivers on the road, but one that met some other criteria.

Mr Spence said the Infrastructure Department was aware the southern region had a lower pass rate than the North and the North-West, which had the highest.

"It is something we are conscious of and we are increasing auditing and training for our testing officers," he said.

But the result could be a more stringent approach in the state's North and North-West, rather than the pass rate rising in the South.

Mr Spence said the testing system was designed to avoid differences between tests in different areas.

from the mercury.

Im going to send in a reply to the paper and tell them some of my story, hopefully these bastards can be exposed for the scum they are.

[AWD Chaser]

Just for what reason/s are you failing? In NSW they just test certain competancies - eg. 3 point turn. Hill Start, Parallel Parking, Normal driving (How close you drive to another car, how good you can keep the car in your lane, indicating, stoping, reading signs, speeding). If you don't pass all the competancies, then sorry mate, you can't drive.

But fair enough if they suddenly say turn here, or do a hill start on the stepest steet in Tassie, or a 3 point turn on a little lane way. But if they fail you for say speeding, or tailgating, then fair enough - you need more practice...

[Kryton]

your going to complain because they are keeping crap drivers off the road?
the less people on the road that cant drive the better imo.
i also reckon if you cant get your license on the 3rd go, you shouldnt be allowed to try again for another year. obviously you need to go back to basics if you cant show that you are safe to be on the road.
maybe the lesson here is if you dont want to keep wasting money then LEARN HOW TO DRIVE SAFELY and LEARN THE ROAD RULES. there is NO excuse.

[deesun]

Wish more governments thought the same way.ie keep the crap drivers off the road.