Newslink October 2021

Feature: Changes to the L-test
The L-test has always been
subject to change
Mike Yeomans
MSA GB North East
A driving test crica 1935. It’s difficult to ascertain whether the
lady in view is an interested by-stander, an examiner or perhaps
the candidate waiting for the driver to let her behind the wheel.
One hopes, however, that the driver’s observation skills meant
he spotted her before he moved much further forward!
In 1997 a new test category was created
for a car with large trailer, (B+E)
For many years now we ADIs have
been critical of the fact you can teach
trailer and car (B+E) without being an
ADI, getting paid and running a business.
Of course, this is still true, but the
desire to take a test to be able to pull a
trailer has only ever been a necessity
because there was a test to take.
As you will have read elsewhere in this
issue, the DVSA’s plan is that there will
no longer be a B+E test to take.
So you could argue that ADIs have
won a small battle and that non-ADIs
have lost a business, but then, so have
those many ADIs who took the time and
money to get qualified, were professional
and created a B+E training business to
meet the test demands.
The only positive for them is that, as
an ADI, they are still qualified to teach
and currently there is plenty of work
around to satisfy our needs, so hopefully
they can pick up ‘standard’ learner pupils
to teach.
Despite this positive, however, I
thought it was very cruel when I read on
social media people saying “all these
B+E trainers and business have only lost
the cost of a trailer, they can still teach,
what’s their beef?”
The biggest issue for any business or
redundancy is to be notified only a week
or so before the collapse of a business,
and this was the case with the DVSA for
so many of the trailer trainers.
I hope by the time this article is read
some compensation has been fought for
and won, to assist those whose work has
been lost so quickly.
While I was checking up on when the
B+E test first arrived I became interested
in the history of the test and the myriad
changes that we’ve seen to it over the
years. An article some time ago on the
history of the Highway Code, published
on the www.gov.uk website intrigued me
and highlighted just how many changes
there have been. Were there any
similarities or lessons to be learned from
history to guide us through these current
tumultuous times?
I have removed some of the changes
that were road safety but not part of the
driving test changes.
The reason for publishing this history,
which I’m sure has been produced in
Newslink before, is I was struck by the
similarity with current events. Where you
read ‘suspended for the duration of World
War 2’ you can now read ‘suspended due
to Covid-19’... you will also read that
‘examiners were redeployed to traffic
duties and supervision of fuel rationing’
– perhaps this can be compared with the
modern day equivalent, ‘furloughed /
redeployed or shielding’.
What the history does tell you is that
some stories never change: there were
always people waiting for L-tests, the
pass rates were never great and new
tests were introduced or removed in an
almost ad hoc nature.
1930: Regulations introduced covering
endorsements and fitness declaration.
The Road Traffic Act 1930 introduces
licensing system for public service
vehicles (PSV). In the early days of
motoring, one licence covered both cars
and motorcycles use. Age restrictions
and a form of driving tests brought in for
disabled drivers. Full licences for
disabled drivers valid for 1 year.
1931: PSV drivers could be required to
take a test, at discretion of Traffic
Commissioners. The first edition of the
Highway Code was published including
advice for motorcycle riders.
1934: Licences for lorry drivers were
introduced on 16 February 1934 under
the Road Traffic Act, 1934 - the licensing
authority could require the applicant to
submit to a practical test of their ability.
1935: Voluntary testing was introduced
on 16 March 1935 by the Road Traffic
Act 1934. This was done to avoid a rush
of candidates when the test becomes
compulsory.
Mr R Beere was the first person to
pass the driving test, at a cost of 7s 6d
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NEWSLINK n OCTOBER 2021