Ernie...the fastest milkman in the west

Judging by the hit count on a couple of my more recent blogs, I’m guessing that instructors are monitoring the blog.  The subject of failing tests seems to be a rather contentious one for some.  I don’t imagine for one second that learners are swarming to my blog because I’ve mentioned about the merits of driving instructors actually being accountable for test fails.

What I don’t think many instructors are prepared to consider is that although they may feel aggrieved at the audacity of someone like me, who should even suggest such a thing;  few consider why I take the view I do.  Unlike some academics sat behind desks writing books, I’ve actually witnessed with my own eyes the consequences of having newly qualified drivers who are ill prepared for driving independently.  It may be quite acceptable for some to read fatality figures on pages, and not consider what those figures really mean, but I DO think of parents who have lost a young one, young lives that have been cut short in their prime, how friends are affected for the rest of their life, not to mention the other parties involved in the collision.  Communities, tax-payers, the economy all ‘pay the price’ of these events.  It’s truly shocking, at least I think it is, but perhaps others in our industry find all the above quite acceptable.

But others ignorance is no reason for me to change my views.  This is the trouble, people become conditioned in what is the norm, if something goes on for long enough, such as low average pass rates, then that is fine.  Some instructors can appear incapable or unwilling of considering life outside of their ‘bubble’ and actually realising what is going on.

I hear instructors say things like, “A test fail may be all that person needed, for their own development, it’s actually a positive thing”.  I’ve heard “Well I can’t be going far wrong, because I’ve got a full diary, if my test fails meant that much to people, then I wouldn’t be in business”.  The fact of the matter is though, a learner does not NEED to fail a test in order to make them a better driver.  It is not essential, you wont find it in the DSA Driving Standard that recommended practice is for an instructor to strive to make their learner fail two times before passing, as it’s character building and will improve their driving ability in the long run.  As much as driving instructors try to find reasons that failing tests is somehow a good and necessary experience, there is only one person they are kidding. 

I know, I actually know, that there is no need for learners to go to test and fail.  If a learner is so keen to go to test to fail, then that is fine, it’s their choice, their right, and they can go and find another instructor very easily to assist them in their test fail.

But please don’t try to convince me that learners failing driving tests is a necessary evil. 

Driving instructors go about their business the way they choose.  I do not, have not, and will not openly criticise how someone does that.  If they choose quantity over quality, that is their decision and they need to LIVE with that decision but don’t criticise someone like me who chooses to provide good quality training.  I choose not to rush around like a headless chicken, leaving 5 mins between driving lessons, charging £7 an hour and contributing to the national average pass rate of below 50%.