The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has just wrapped up a consultation on how to encourage learners to be better prepared for their test so they don’t fail as frequently.
If approved, one of the proposals – to change the eyesight check – could have major implications for the test itself.
The proposal is simple: The DVSA wants to change the law so the eyesight test can be carried out in any level of light.
Days only
Currently, you must be able to read out a driving licence in good daylight. The knock-on effect is that your examiner is not allowed by law to check eyesight before sunrise or after sunset – or because of bad weather creating gloomy conditions.
By having the learner able to read the number plate using different methods – say, on a tablet screen – it would mean the eyesight check can be carried out at any time of day or night.
Tests all night
Now this is where it gets interesting: If the proposal goes through, the DVSA will then have the flexibility to offer tests in lower light conditions, i.e., in the evening/night.
This in turn would mean more tests potentially becoming available to help clear the backlog created by the pandemic.
Most importantly, the move would encourage learners to practise more often at night to get ready for a potential nighttime test.
And research shows learners really need to:
1 in 4 newly qualified drivers said they wished they had spent more time driving in the dark during their lessons.
1 in 10 new drivers said they had actively avoided driving in the dark since passing their test.
47,000 drivers who passed their test in the last year might not be regularly driving at night.
Now bear in mind that:
1 in 3 of all road accidents involve young drivers at night.
Counting the cost
Add all that up and it illustrates that learners need to be getting out on to the road at night with their instructor far more to build up confidence and skill levels.
After all, the challenges of driving at night are different to those experienced in daylight. They include:
- Spotting hazards
- Overtaking
- Fatigue
- Rush hour
- Headlight glare
- More impaired drivers
- Lack of peripheral vision.
By changing the law to allow driving tests at night, the DVSA hopes more learners will decide to experience night driving so they are better all-round drivers, leading to less accidents on our roads while increasing the number of tests available. That’s what we call a win-win.
Know your code
