Independent driving will become part of the practical driving test in Great Britain from October 4th, 2010.

It's tasking the candidate to drive for about 10 minutes, either following a series of directions, following traffic signs until told otherwise, or a combination of both. 

To help the candidate be clear about where they're going, the examiner can show them a diagram too.

The Driving Standards Agency is making the change so that candidates can show that they have the skills to be a safe novice driver.

It doesn't matter if candidates don't remember every direction, or if they go the wrong way - that can happen to the most experienced drivers.  If you do go the wrong way, as long as you have the correct signal on , if necessary , for the lane that you are currently in and way you are going, you'll be fine.

If there is no sign, the sign is too late/too close to the junction or obscured  in any way - the examiner will instructor you.

 

The length of driving tests and test fees will not change when independent driving is introduced in October.

 

From October, car test candidates (category B) will have to complete ONE reversing manoeuvre rather than TWO. The manoeuvre will be selected at random by the examiner from:

• turning in the road
• reversing around a corner
• reverse parking (either round a car or into a bay)

An emergency stop exercise will still be conducted on one in three tests.

 

To watch the DSA video on YouTube regarding the Independent Drive click here

 

 

 

Newspaper reports

The claim in some newspapers that independent driving would lead to a fall in the driving test pass rate is based on early research where conditions did not reflect the eventual design of the new element of the test.

Subsequent trials with a larger number of participants and more closely reflecting the conditions in the planned new test showed no significant fall in the pass rate.