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1991, the Second European Directive on Driving Licences was adopted by the EC.
This required all member states to introduce, from July 1996, a common syllabus
for the driving test including a substantial theory element. To meet this
requirement, the Driving Standards Agency developed the UK theory test based on
the EC syllabus and appointed a new company Drivesafe Services Limited to run
the tests. In 1995, the then Minister for Road
Safety said:
"Drivers in the 17-21 age range, which includes most new drivers,
represent 10% of licence holders but are involved in 20% of all accidents. They
account for a quarter of all road fatalities.
I am confident the new theory test will make a significant contribution
to improving road safety and reducing the accident rate among newly-qualified
drivers."
In September 2002, Alistair Darling, Secretary of
State for Transport launched the new driving theory test incorporating a
'hazard perception element' comprising a selection of film clips showing actual
road scenes and potential hazards. People sitting the test are assessed on how
soon they spot the dangers. Each candidate is tested on 14 film clips chosen at
random from a series of two hundred.
Alistair Darling said:
"Too many accidents involve new drivers and it is therefore
essential that they are aware of road hazards from the
very start."
"Nearly 10 people die on our roads every day - and we are committed
to reducing that number. By concentrating on these danger awareness skills as
soon as people start to drive they are given a valuable lesson for life -
making the road safer for them and all road users."
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HISTORY OF THE THEORY TEST
