Newslink January 2022

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Prepare for a decade of
momentous changes
Colin Lilly
Editor, MSA GB Newslink
To start, MSA GB would like to wish you
all a very Happy and Healthy New Year.
This year has the potential to be a
prosperous one, with the continuing
driving test backlog and waiting list of
frustrated learner drivers. We hope we
can reach the end of 2022 with no
further restrictions due to Covid variants.
So here we are, another year into what
could well be a defining decade for
motoring and driver training. After 2030,
sales of petrol and diesel engine cars will
be banned so there will be a wind-down
in their sales towards that date. Some
hybrids may remain available until 2035,
but certainly the trend will be towards
automatic gearboxes.
A number of driving schools are already
opting to offer training in hybrid or
electric vehicles which will restrict
successful learners to a manual licence
once they pass their test. In fact, there
has been some promotion of the idea of
learning in an electric car as being an
easy option. Some drivers select learning
in an automatic for a number of reasons
but to make the choice as the ‘easy
option’ does not seem a good route to a
safe driving career.
Selecting the easy option on any topic
in life does not always produce the best
result. Learning to drive competently
requires quite an effort.
The driving test pass rate in 2020/21
for automatic cars was 41.5 per cent
compared with an overall pass rate of
50.5 per cent. This suggests it may not
be the most efficient route to take.
The majority of new drivers opt for an
older second-hand car which in the main
will have a manual gearbox. Many would
find the price of a new electric vehicle
costing at least £20,000 beyond their
reach, while second-hand prices,
beginning at around £10,000, will be too
steep for many.
We operate at the entry level of car
ownership. To suggest that young drivers
will opt for the electric route is a bit
futuristic, but they realise that at some
point in their driving career they will have
to make the change to an electric car.
Some of my learners already have a
much-loved family car that’s less than
five years old waiting for them for when
they pass their driving test. In most cases
these are manual vehicles.
We must continue to offer manual
lessons for those that need the freedom
to choose. It is reasonable to suggest that
manual driver training will still be needed
after 2030 until an equilibrium is
reached.
CONTACT
To comment on this article or any other
issue surrounding driver training and
testing, contact Colin via editor@msagb.com
If you want to contribute to the February issue of Newslink, send
your article to Colin Lilly at editor@msagb.com by 21st January.
MSA GB Annual Conference 2022
MARCH 18-19
at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Coventry
• DVSA officials
• Trade stands
• Networking events
• Road safety speakers
• Business advice
• MSA GB AGM
Prices start from just
£50 for the
Conference day.
See pg 18-19 for
more details
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COVER STORY
Major overhaul of the
Highway Code gives the
most vulnerable road
users priority – but will
the public embrace the
changes?
See pg 8
NEWSLINK n JANUARY 2022
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