Testing times for learner drivers

By Shaun Inguanzo
VICROADS will neither confirm nor deny that driver licence pass rates at its Dandenong South branch are as low as 30 per cent.
A driving instructor from the Casey and Greater Dandenong region, who did not wish to be named, told Star that the pass rate of driving tests in recent months at the Greens Road facility was as low as 30 per cent, due largely to the heavy vehicle traffic that posed a greater challenge for drivers.
But VicRoads failed to confirm the pass rate at its Dandenong South facility, instead insisting that the new Graduated Licensing System, introduced in July, had made obtaining a driver’s licence tougher.
VicRoads road user safety acting director Dale Andrea said it made no apologies for tough licensing conditions that aimed to improve the capabilities of drivers.
“The new drive test is more challenging. It’s designed to test a young person’s level of driving experience,” he said.
“At the moment, the average pass rate on the new test across Victoria is around 53%. These are preliminary results but VicRoads expected that the pass rate would drop when the new test came in.”
Mr Andrea said the message to young people was that they would need more experience to tackle the roads.
“We make no apologies for that,” he said.
“This test is about saving young lives on the road by helping them to be safer, more experienced drivers.”
Mr Andrea said routes – like that of Dandenong South – were deliberately chosen.
“Driver preparedness is the key factor that determines whether or not a learner will pass or fail their test,” he said.
“All roads that form part of a test route for the new drive test have been assessed by VicRoads as suitable for learners to use for the two phases of the new test.
“The routes are designed to test a learner’s ability to safely manoeuvre the vehicle in a variety of traffic conditions."