Driving instructor calls for changes to test that breaks the Highway Code

Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for a manoeuvre to be removed from the new UK driving test.

The new move, which is part of the revised driving test that comes in to force on December 4, 2017, requires learners to park on the right-hand side of the road, before reversing two car lengths and pulling back on to the road.

Driving instructor Tony Cove created the petition because he believed the move was “dangerous” and goes against the Highway Code, which says drivers should not “park facing against the traffic flow”.

Cove told the Press Association: “I think the move is dangerous because not only does it mean you’re moving across oncoming traffic, you’re moving over two lanes. You’ve got to remember that these are inexperienced drivers who are being faced with a manoeuvre that I personally rarely use, and is also against the Highway Code. I just think it’s unnecessary.”

He also raised concerns about where instructors could find enough parking spaces empty to allow learners to reverse two car lengths, particularly in the build-up to Christmas.

The addition of the new manoeuvre was introduced “for the sake of it”, according to Cove, because two old moves had been removed and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) needed something else to prove reversing proficiency.

However, Gordon Witherspoon, deputy chief driving examiner at the DVSA, said: “DVSA is committed to helping people through a lifetime of safe driving and the new test will better assess a driver’s ability to drive safely and independently.

“The new manoeuvre reflects how people actually drive and it is vital they have the knowledge and skills to do it safely, which is why it is included.

“The new test was trialled with more than 4,300 learner drivers and has the support of the driver training industry and road safety groups.”