| In
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