This story is covered by both the Telegraph and the Daily Mail. It makes you wonder how long the DSA can withstand the strain of so many pointless FOI requests by the media.
This one trumpets:
More than 100,000 driving tests nearly ended in a crash [Telegraph}
Emergency stop: 112,000 driving tests almost ended in a crash last year [Daily Mail]
The reality is rather banal. Around 1.5 million tests were conducted, and just under half were passes. So, almost the same as the year before, actually. But the Mail and the Telegraph are trying to work an angle out of it.
Let me just explain something. When a pupil goes to test, they are allowed to make a maximum of 15 driver errors. A typical driver error might be something like braking a little too harshly, or perhaps steering a bit abruptly. Or it might be passing a parked car a little too closely.
If the pupil keeps repeating the same fault, then the examiner will probably decide that it is serious enough to warrant a fail – so you can’t get all 15 driver faults for the same error.
Likewise, something that might be classed as a driver fault – like not looking over your shoulder before driving off just once when there is no one is coming – could easily become a serious fault if someone IS coming, or even a dangerous fault if someone is right at the side of you. Likewise, getting a bit close to parked cars can easily become serious if it is too close, or dangerous if you clip someone’s mirror.
If the examiner has to use the dual controls, grab the steering wheel, or even verbally correct an error, it is marked under “ETA” (examiner took action) and is a fail.
Much of the time, if a pupil commits a serious or dangerous fault then the examiner has to get involved. You could say that if he didn’t, then an accident of some sort could have been the outcome. This is just the way it is. It’s no big deal.
Except to the media.
The Mail is just about wetting its knickers when it says:
Nearly 112,000 hapless would-be drivers fail their driving tests because they are involved in near misses…
Many crashes were avoided by examiners taking control of the car according to figures released from the Driving Standards Agency (DSA)…
Incorrect use of mirrors led to over 200,000 candidates being failed, with more than 30,000 cases being classified as dangerous…
I’m sorry, but they’re just stating simple facts here. It’s like saying “it’s raining”, and then expecting everyone to scream and take out extra insurance. It isn’t like that.
The Telegraph is not much better:
Figures released by the Driving Standards Agency showed that in many of these cases, a collision was avoided by the examiner taking control of the car…
Their article isn’t as frantic as the Mail’s, but it still acts as if people should be shocked or afraid. They shouldn’t.
The only figures that makes you sit up and take notice are the one about 339 tests in which either the candidate or the examiner was injured, and the one where the examiner was physically or verbally assaulted. The rest is just stuff. Normal stuff.