By Kwaak Je-yup
After the new, simpler driver’s license test went into effect Friday, test-takers were puzzled by the logic behind the changes or lack thereof.
With the second stage test being drastically simplified, rough statistics from the first test day showed a sharp increase in the pass rate to over 90 percent, double the pre-change percentage, according to officials from test centers. The test has three phases — a written, basic course and final road test.
However, many of those who took the second stage at the Gangnam Driver’s License Test Center on Monday questioned why the section even survived the reform, especially if it is outdated, as claimed by the government.
“The second test was useless anyway,” said Lee Beom-jun, 28. “You memorized the course; that was it.”
John, 28, a recent graduate of a California university, said, “Not sure if the course test is at all necessary. In the States, no one has to do this.”
Both passed on their first try.
Just over a year after the first abridgement in February last year, the National Police Agency announced in April this year that further changes were to be made, citing overlaps between the road course test and the final road test.
From Friday, the former was abbreviated from 11 parts to just two — involving a basic maneuver like starting the engine and operating the windshield wipers as well as suddenly braking in a mock emergency.
While the agency is heralding the benefits, convenience, efficiency and lower driving school fees, test-takers raise the question why the barebones second part did not simply merge with the final road test, cutting red tape and reinforcing the test’s standards.
According to preliminary figures by the Korean Road Traffic Authority (KoRoad), there was a sharp increase in the pass rate for the second stage — to 94 percent, roughly double the previous figure.
A KoRoad official said the pass rates for the third stage remained roughly constant, at 58.2 percent, on the first day, but the statistics for those who had passed the shortened second part were yet to be compiled at the time of reporting.
The third stage was the main concern for everyone, and not just for the sake of passing.
Self-employed mom Lee Ju-ri, 38, while welcoming an easier examination, wondered if the driver’s license test has lost credibility. “It’s already difficult being on the road, and so I don’t see how people can drive right away after these tests,” she said. “Even if I pass, I’m planning on taking extra lessons.”
Kim Gi-bok, president of Citizen Traffic Safety Association, NGO, called the reform “a step in the right direction, leaving behind standards based on cars of the past.”
While still “too early to tell,” he said the road test needs to be “substantially revamped, in order to ensure whoever gains a driver’s license is actually ready to be on the road controlling something that can kill people.”
“I wonder if people are ready for this freedom,” he said.
Like Lee’s plans to take extra lessons, others seemed reserved about the discrepancy between Seoul’s roads and the test conditions.
Housewife Go Hyo-jin, 35, said she took the longer test before June 10 on purpose to be safer. “I wanted more opportunities to drive before the final road test,” she said.
Choi Jong-won, 20, a student at a U.S. college, said as a first-timer, he wanted to try the roads himself if he passed that day but also planned on getting advice from more experienced drivers before trying it alone. “There are lots of people and lots of cars in Seoul. This isn’t the U.S.,” he said.
Jang Young-chae of Korea Traffic Accident Analysis Center (KOTAAC), one of KoRoad’s research centers responsible for the reforms, said he welcomed any suggestions and anticipated modifications in the future.
He was positive about combining the two latter steps to simplify the licensing process. “We shouldn’t just get rid of something just because some people don’t see the justification,” said Jang.