Would-be drivers in the Netherlands could soon face stricter regulations when it comes to taking their tests and acquiring their driving licence, as the Central Office for Motor Vehicle Testing (CBR) has called for a rule change that would require learner drivers to get the go-ahead from two driving schools before being able to sit their practical exam.
Last spring, a report published by The Roemer Committee called for a complete overhaul of driving lessons and tests in the Netherlands in order to improve the country’s standard of driving. The report highlighted a number of issues with the current system, proposing, amongst other things, that students should be required to take several theoretical and practical exams in order to obtain their licence, and that driving instructors should meet much stricter requirements.
Now the CBR has put forward another plan for ensuring students are better prepared before sitting their practical exams. In the future, it would like anyone who is planning on sitting their practical exams to first receive the approval of two different driving schools before going ahead with the exam.
The CBR has concerns about the number of driving schools that offer fast-track lessons for a relatively low price, promising prospective students that they can sit their exam after just 10 lessons - something which regularly leads to dangerous situations on the road.
To combat this issue, the CBR wants to introduce a so-called “collegial readiness statement” for driving schools, which would mean that, when a driving school believes one of its students is ready to sit the practical exam, the student must have one additional lesson with a different school, which must also find the student competent enough to sit the exam.