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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Drivers 'need psychometric tests' | Drivers 'need psychometric tests' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Psychological assessments should become part of the UK driving test, a road safety expert has urged. | Psychological assessments should become part of the UK driving test, a road safety expert has urged. |
| Robert Gifford, director of a road safety charity, told BBC Radio Five Live the current system failed to root out drivers prone to breaking rules. | Robert Gifford, director of a road safety charity, told BBC Radio Five Live the current system failed to root out drivers prone to breaking rules. |
| He said psychometric tests could help to identify people with the wrong attitude to the road. | He said psychometric tests could help to identify people with the wrong attitude to the road. |
| The call comes as the Driving Standards Agency carries out a review of how people learn to drive. | The call comes as the Driving Standards Agency carries out a review of how people learn to drive. |
| The government said it would keep an open mind over what changes might be brought in. | The government said it would keep an open mind over what changes might be brought in. |
| 'Risk-takers' | 'Risk-takers' |
| Mr Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), said the current test assessed people's technical ability - their hand, eye and foot co-ordination. | Mr Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), said the current test assessed people's technical ability - their hand, eye and foot co-ordination. |
| But he said it failed to look at their psychological attitude to the road. | But he said it failed to look at their psychological attitude to the road. |
| For example, it fails to assess if they see themselves as risk-takers, making them more likely to break the speed limit or jump a red light. | For example, it fails to assess if they see themselves as risk-takers, making them more likely to break the speed limit or jump a red light. |
| He said a psychometric assessment would help identify such faults and instructors and examiners would then be able to modify the person's behaviour. | He said a psychometric assessment would help identify such faults and instructors and examiners would then be able to modify the person's behaviour. |
| "What one would want to do is - in addition to the multiple choice questions that there are in the theory test at the moment - we would give people a series of value judgements," he said. | "What one would want to do is - in addition to the multiple choice questions that there are in the theory test at the moment - we would give people a series of value judgements," he said. |
| What you are doing is trying to highlight the extent to which people believe certain things, how they feel about certain things and how they will in general behave towards traffic Dr Lisa Dorn,Cranfield University | What you are doing is trying to highlight the extent to which people believe certain things, how they feel about certain things and how they will in general behave towards traffic Dr Lisa Dorn,Cranfield University |
| "These could include, 'At what speed would you anticipate driving down this road?' or 'Have you ever left the traffic lights while they have been on red?'. | "These could include, 'At what speed would you anticipate driving down this road?' or 'Have you ever left the traffic lights while they have been on red?'. |
| "We would ask people the extent to which they agree or disagree with these statements. | "We would ask people the extent to which they agree or disagree with these statements. |
| "It would be a way of picking up their underlying values rather than just the facts that they have at their disposal, which are a series of multiple choice questions." | "It would be a way of picking up their underlying values rather than just the facts that they have at their disposal, which are a series of multiple choice questions." |
| Dr Lisa Dorn from Cranfield University has drawn up psychometric tests for drivers. | Dr Lisa Dorn from Cranfield University has drawn up psychometric tests for drivers. |
| The tests are currently being used by Arriva buses to assess new drivers, who face a one in two chance of being involved in a collision in their first year. | The tests are currently being used by Arriva buses to assess new drivers, who face a one in two chance of being involved in a collision in their first year. |
| Hidden checks | Hidden checks |
| In the last four years, while the tests have been in use, the company has reduced fatalities involving its buses by 31%, Dr Dorn said. | In the last four years, while the tests have been in use, the company has reduced fatalities involving its buses by 31%, Dr Dorn said. |
| "The principle is that when you administer a psychometric assessment what you are doing is trying to highlight the extent to which people believe certain things, how they feel about certain things and how they will generally behave towards, obviously in this case, traffic," she said. | "The principle is that when you administer a psychometric assessment what you are doing is trying to highlight the extent to which people believe certain things, how they feel about certain things and how they will generally behave towards, obviously in this case, traffic," she said. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Given the sheer volume of traffic on our roads today, the current driving test is nowhere near tough enough Netuser, Plymouth Send us your comments | |
| She said it would be difficult for people taking the tests to give a false impression of their attitudes towards driving. | She said it would be difficult for people taking the tests to give a false impression of their attitudes towards driving. |
| "We incorporate two scales within the assessment to identify the extent to which people hold some very strong beliefs about their driving," she said. | "We incorporate two scales within the assessment to identify the extent to which people hold some very strong beliefs about their driving," she said. |
| "There are certain items in there, which I should probably not mention, that will catch out these sort of individuals and then you can look at them more closely." | "There are certain items in there, which I should probably not mention, that will catch out these sort of individuals and then you can look at them more closely." |
| A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "The Driving Standards Agency is conducting a review of driver testing and training and when ministers have had a chance to look at that the proposals will be put out to consultation. | A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "The Driving Standards Agency is conducting a review of driver testing and training and when ministers have had a chance to look at that the proposals will be put out to consultation. |
| "It is impossible to say what the measures will be, but we are looking for evidence-based proposals. We are not ruling anything in or out." | "It is impossible to say what the measures will be, but we are looking for evidence-based proposals. We are not ruling anything in or out." |