As we all know, although most learner drivers are young – some people come into driving at an older age. With the changes to the driving test in the UK from December put in place to reflect our modern way of living and the technology we engage with on a daily basis, UKGOV have introduced a Sat Nav element to the UK driving test, as a way to address the concerns about inexperienced drivers being easily distracted whilst at the wheel.
Now I’m a great believer in keeping up with the times to ensure – as a person – you don’t get left behind in modern day living. So on learning about the changes, I realised it brought a few questions to my mind.
The technology side of it. Don’t get me wrong I’m a blogger! Without technology I wouldn’t even be able to begin talking about all of this but at the same time I really love Maps and find that on a road-trip, pulling out a map, laying it out on the bonnet of a car and figuring out where I need to go, lends itself to a feeling of satisfaction internally. There have been many adventures where the map has tried to escape our grasp and fly away in a strong gust of wind but I think this is all part of the fun. Yet, I know not everyone will view this the same way I do.
I remember in Australia we were trying to find the Sydney suburb of Earlwood:
Lacking a GPS in our rental car, initially caused a little confusion on our drive up from Wollongong, as the way in which the suburbs have been developed and grown, gives rise to a very confusing, convoluted way of entering and exiting Sydney. Ross – one of our hosts, kindly lent us a spare he had, during our stay, which made it mighty easy then to find our way around the rabbit warren of roads, as we grew used to driving the area. TravelwiththeStrings.
A sat nav became the essential item to help us move around Sydney and its suburbs without getting lost.
Problems with the sat nav during your test:
- The driving examiner will step in to take control if the sat nav fails or freezes. They can then go back to giving directions in the same way as they do now.
- Where 2 junctions are close together
- The driving examiner will give bridging directions if there are 2 junctions close together so that the candidate can plan their drive.
The candidate should use the speedometer reading fitted to the vehicle. The sat nav might give a slightly different reading. The examiner will only use the car speedometer reading. UKGOV
Remember… In 1 in 5 tests the examiner will use road signs for the independent drive.