We are all aware that our young drivers are a high risk group on the roads! They are more prone to be driving drunk, speeding, driving distracted and driving without wearing their seatbelts! Most of us can understand that these are some of the reason why they struggle to find affordable insurance!
Do we however allow them on our roads with the necessary testing of their abilities to effectively manage the variety of the threats that may encounter?
We would like to share some very insightful thoughts from a visitor to the Arrive Alive website on this topic!
Testing of young drivers and the K53
Thank you for giving me the chance to talk about the above subject. As I mentioned, the subject of the K53 Manual came up on Radio 702 this morning and it prompted me to find someone that really cares about avoiding these awful deaths and accidents we keep hearing/seeing about on these so called ‘Freeways’/ High Speed Roads, a major area of carnage here in SA.
Over some years now, I have tried to research why all this ’destruction’ keeps repeating on these roads and nothing seems to be done about it.
Well, I think I may have found out some very important reasons why all this is happening;
1) The K53 Manual does not cater for teaching/testing learner drivers to cope with driving on high speed roads. These roads form a major part of the transport system in SA.
2) There is not one Driving School in SA that teaches their students about the rules and regulations concerning driving on high speed roads. Their reason is that it is not a requirement in the curriculum of testing at any Test Station in SA. This is a major oversight by the authorities !
3) On talking to many of the Driving Examiners at the Testing Stations, their common reply is that it is too dangerous to take a learner driver that is being examined, onto the so called ‘Freeways’. Also, as this requirement is not in the Examining Curriculum, they have no interest to test this part of a learner’s driving skills.
This whole aspect is very concerning and there is no doubt in my mind that ALL the Government Departments that are connected to the driving skills of the general public have NEVER thought of this deplorable condition that has been permitted to manifest itself into, what I believe, is a very dangerous situation.
This has got to be corrected and acted upon very quickly. Any further delays will simply add to the deaths and carnage we all know that is happening right now, on these high speed roads.
IT MUST BE CAREFULLY NOTED THAT REDUCING THE SPEED LIMITS ON THESE ROADS WILL NOT REDUCE THE DEATH AND ACCIDENT TOLL. This is a proven fact all over the World and is upheld by the Automobile Association of SA and other interested organisations accordingly (it is well known that the majority of these accidents are caused by pedestrians here in SA, moving across these high speed roads without due care and there is a gross lack of education in this regard).
Thus, the basics must be changed at the level of teaching and testing.
Yours sincerely,
Bruce Joelson
