50 pc British motorists would fail driving test - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Almost half of the 33.5 million motorists of Britain would fail a driving test if they have to retake it, recent findings have revealed. Britain’s motorists have picked up so many bad habits that they are an accident risk. The findings have encouraged regular checking of people’s driving skills. Road safety charity Brake is requesting for compulsory tests but other experts say that drivers should be encouraged to take voluntary refresher training. The study was conducted on 20 drivers aged 19-70 who had volunteered to retake their practical L-test. Nine people failed out of the 20, suggesting that 45 per cent of British license holders would do likewise. Whereas, eight of them committed errors that were so serious, an examiner would have failed them on the spot. “This adds to the weight of the argument that drivers ought to be retested on a regular basis throughout their driving careers – particularly when they get older,” The Daily Express quoted Brake’s deputy chief executive Julie Townsend as saying. The investigation was conducted by What Car? Magazine. “There is a strong case for systematic additional driver training every five years,” said Paul Atkinson, of What Car? Driving School.