Artic anomaly in test
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by Mlles Brignall • Changes to LGV driving tests will result in drivers passing tests in drawbars and driving artics without proper training, warn lorry driving instructors, From July drivers will no longer be able to learn on an artic unless they have passed the rigid test. Once they have qualified in a rigid they simply have to take the test again with a 4ni trailer attached. If they pass, they may drive artics and drawbars.
Although drivers currently passing the drawbar test can drive artics, learners are taught on artics because they do not have to take the rigid test first. Instructors fear that under the new regulations learners on limited budgets will take the rigid route to artic driving to save expensive retraining.
They argue there
is a different technique and driving line required to safely manoeuvre an artic trailer to that of a drawbar. It will be farcical," says Portsmouthbased r,Gy instructor Jim Thomson. He says the industry should get together to try to get the Driving Standards Agency to change the testing structure.
But the DSA says that the industry should have raised the issue earlier, "We've already changed the trailer dimensions after protests from instructors and the artic problem wasn't brought up. It's all a bit late now," it says.
Thomson says the problem has arisen now because training schools have gone out to buy rigid vehicles for the new tests. He is urging other instructors to write to the DSA in a bid to get it to change its mind.