The newsfeed just threw this one up. “Threw up” is an appropriate term, I think, seeing as it is a combined insurance plug and publicity stunt.
Only an hour or so ago I mentioned that the driving test has never been designed to turn out perfect drivers with built-in lifetime driving experience. It has always been intended to decide whether people are safe enough to go out and continue learning through their own experiences.
IAM (Institute of Advanced Motorists) – the driving equivalent of the Bowls Club Committee or the England Cricket Team Selectors – is spending a lot of it’s time stating the blindingly obvious, these days.
Peter Rodger, chief driving examiner at the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)… said people should consider their actions once the L-plates come off and work to keep learning “to help themselves improve further”.
He pointed out that those getting behind the wheel should look at the skill as “professional development and not assume that once they have passed the driving test that is all they need to do for the rest of their lives”.
You can hear the collective sound of 55 million British citizens slapping their foreheads and going “ooooh, I never thought of that”. Or not, as the case may be.
The driving test has always been a stepping stone to further improvement. By definition, driving on your own leads to increased experience.
The last thing the average Neanderthal needs is advice on how to go round corners fast on the wrong side of the road, straightline roundabouts (which he can already do), or be told everything he vaguely remembers from his test is wrong anyway.