the driving test was introduced and compulsory for all new drivers in the uk on 1 june 1935.
the driving test was introduced and compulsory for all new drivers in the uk on 1 june 1935.
when was the driving test introduced and compulsory for all new drivers in the uk?
1 june 1935
uk driving licences were introduced by the motor car act 1903 but no test was required. the intention was purely to identify vehicles and their drivers. the road traffic act 1930 introduced age restrictions and a test for disabled drivers; this was the first formal driving test in the uk. these licences were only valid for one year from the date of issue. legislation for compulsory testing was introduced for all new drivers with the road traffic act 1934. the test was initially voluntary to avoid a rush of candidates until 1 june 1935 when all people who had started to drive on or after 1 april 1934 needed to have passed the test.
united kingdom driving test
in 2017 the department of transport (dft) decided to increase the penalties to a £200 ($268) fine with 6 penalty points as a result of the growing acceptance of phone use while driving. this would mean that motorists who perhaps already had 6 points on their driving licence, would be disqualified from driving for 6 months if caught. the biggest detriment would be for newly qualified drivers who have passed their driving tests within the last two years. new drivers have conditions on their licence for two years after passing their test in the uk, with the most significant being that if they gain 6 penalty points on their licence they have to fully retake their driving test. licence holders after 2 years have 12 points until licence disqualification in most circumstances rather than a ban/retest. the decision to make the penalty 6 points rather than 4 or 5 was likely made to deter young/new drivers from using their phones while driving, as they were observed to be one of the largest age groups committing the offence. a year after the stricter law came in, a smaller 23% of motorists had admitted to using a phones while driving, an 8% reduction compared to 2 years ago. studies will continue to monitor whether or not this habit persist among motorists as it has done throughout the past, while the british government aims to make picking up your phone as socially unacceptable as drink driving.
mobile phones and driving safety