From this week, you might discover your driving examiner is wearing a body cam when you meet them for your test.

The technology has been introduced by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) because of an increase in violent and abusive incidents against examiners by candidates since pandemic restrictions ended.

Now part of the examiner’s official uniform moving forward, the cams will only be turned on if the examiner feels they are being threatened or on the receiving end of inappropriate behaviour from the candidate.

The footage can then be used to either cancel tests or in serious cases, prosecute the offending candidate in court if the examiner is subsequently abused.

Escalating situation

Sadly, examiners being on the receiving end of abuse from angry candidates is not new. Numbers had been dropping since 2018 (241 incidents) but this fall is explained by the pandemic restrictions, which reduced the overall number of driving tests taking place.

Now restrictions have been lifted, there are concerns that the numbers are now tracking even higher than before. The latest figures show incidents of abuse and assault doubling to 610 in 2021-2022.

This has led to the DVSA introducing the body cams to ensure the safety of its driving examiners.

“[Our examiners have] every right to feel safe at work … Although the majority of people are courteous, we hope that the cameras will help our examiners feel safer from the abusive minority.”

• Peter Hearn, Director of Operations, DVSA speaking to the Daily Mirror

Frightening instances

Previously, the DVSA has revealed some of the horrific experiences that driving examiners have had to endure. For instance:

  • The examiner who was told to “start running… because I’m going to mow you down”.
  • Examiners being in effect ‘kidnapped’ by candidates who drive off with the assessor still in the car.
  • A candidate trying to smash in the door of a test centre with a fire extinguisher to confront the examiner who had failed them (even though the examiner was out conducting another test).

It is important to note that body cam footage cannot be used by candidates to dispute their test result.

Know Your Code

Double your chances of theory test success with Theory Test Pro. Sign up for free here.

Photo by Pixabay