Dear Deputy De Faye,
I read the article in the JEP (see below), and am writing to ask if it is true, or if the Evening post have simply managed to garble the true story.
The full article mentioned the log book being signed off by accredited invidiual, e.g. examiner, driving instructor.
The particular part which gives me disquiet is about "driving in the rain", which seems an excellent idea for a learner driver, but overlooks the difficulties involved if - as for instance last year - there is a period of over a month in which no rain falls, or the rain falls only late at night. How to dovetail lessons to ensure that "driving in the rain" is fulfiled with the hapshazard and sporadic nature of the weather concerned seems to be impossible, unless of course, Jersey is planning on having a skid-course and skid-tests (such as in the Pass Plus UK scheme http://www.ciao.co.uk/Pass_Plus__Review_5368004). That would probably be of greater benefit because the one area where local drivers tend to be weakest is driving in icy or snowbound conditions.
It is interesting that general survey of the European field (http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/publications/doc/trainer_deliverable_1_2.pdf)
does have some countries in which driving in difficult conditions is given (but nowhere is just "rain" specified), but these tend to be countries in which weather conditions are more generally extreme, so are more commonplace. It is notably absense in countries which enjoy long periods of good weather, which would lead to significant delays.
What does seem common to many European countries is the two phase system, whereby the new driver has a probationary status for two years, which may involve limitations (e.g. on towing a trailer) and which may revert to learner status dependent upon either a penalty points system or simply a specified number of driving offenses over that period.
Regards
Tony Bellows
L-tests to be made harder
PASSING your driving test could soon be harder - and more expensive.
Learner drivers may have to clock up several hours in different conditions before they are eligible to sit their test. Driver and Vehicle Standards are looking at introducing 'logbooks' that would verify that learners had done a prescribed number of manoeuvres and had, for example, driven at night and in the rain. The proposed changes have been welcomed by road safety campaigners and driving instructors, but are likely to increase the cost of learning to drive. At the moment, hour-long lessons cost around £26, with most drivers taking between 15 and 30 lessons before taking their tests. That not inconsiderable cost would be increased if learners were expected to take more lessons and to drive at night.
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