From 4 October 2010, the practical driving test will include approximately 10 minutes of independent driving.
The aim of independent driving is to test your ability to drive unsupervised and make safe decisions, without guidance in unfamiliar driving situations.
During the test candidates will have to drive for about 10 minutes, either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both. To help candidates understand where they're going, the examiner may show them a diagram.
Independent driving is not a test of the candidate's orientation skills. If the candidate goes off route, but does not commit a fault, there's nothing to assess. Any faults that did occur would be assessed under the circumstances at the time – as usual. There is no change to assessment.
If there are poor or obscured traffic signs, the examiner will give you directions until you can see the next traffic sign - you won’t need to have a detailed knowledge of the area.
If the candidate asks for a reminder of the directions, the examiner will be happy to confirm them. Driving independently means making your own decisions and, just like when driving with friends, this includes deciding when it's safe and appropriate to ask for confirmation on where you're going.
You cannot use a SatNav device for independent driving.
From October, car test candidates (category B) will have to complete one reversing manoeuvre rather than two. The manoeuvre will be selected at random by the examiner from:
turning in the road
reversing around a corner
reverse parking (either on the road, or into a bay)
An emergency stop exercise will be conducted on one in three tests.
The DSA has procedures to identify special needs and disabilities when tests are booked online or over the phone. The examiner then knows which type of special needs the candidate has so reasonable adjustment can be made. For independent driving this could be asking the candidate which method they prefer for the section – in other words, following signs, or a series of directions (a maximum of three) which are supported by a diagram approved by the British Dyslexia Association. In some cases this will be shortened to just two directions.
All examiners are trained to carry out the test to the same standard. There are no pass or fail quotas. If you demonstrate the standard required you will pass your driving test.
Driving test fees can be found on the directgov web site.
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