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IMTD meeting, 7-Dec-25

8/12/2025

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INDUSTRY NEWS

In last 2-3 years, 300 new examiners have started (but 260 have left)
36 MoD examiners have been approached (20 have, so far, shown interest)
L.Ryder was successful in other parts of DVSA
Each driving test costs £82 to provide (thus c.£18 loss ... though PDI and Green Badge fees offset this, and the Secretary of State prefers DVSA, overall, to simply cover its costs)

CURRENT ATTITUDES ON THE ROAD

2,053 survey responses to IAMroadsmart show MAIN MOTORING CONCERNS are e-scooters (64%), drug-driving (45%), potholes (70%), pavement parking (79%), tailgating and aggressive driving (68%).
Re. OTHERS' BEHAVIOUR, 33% of occupants have seen another passenger not wearing a seatbelt; 27% have experienced an unbelted driver; 35% have experienced tailgating; 24% have seen a friend or relative have more than one drink before driving.
On PERSONAL BEHAVIOURS, 27% have held a handheld mobile phone for driving; 23% are risking being over the drink-drive limit the following morning; 46% find impatience to be their most common behavioural trait; 6% admit using social media when on more than half of their journeys; 28% admit exceeding 80mph in the last year.
Re. VEHCLE SAFETY & TECHNOLOGY Half of drivers believe that AEB should be a mandatory requirement for all new cars. 16% report using lane keeping assist regularly - 55% of those who don't use it cite preferring to be in control of the vehicle. 59% have used parking assist in the last 12 months, with only 17% of those who have the technology opting not to use it. 60% are unaware of Euro NCAP ratings. Those aged 25-34 report using ADAS more than other age group, across every category.
Re. POLICY INITIATIVES Over half (52%) support mandatory re-testing of the Highway Code every 10 years for all drivers. 83% support mandatory alco-locks for drink driving offenders. 75% support reducing IPT (insurance premium tax) for drivers who have additional training qualifications. 88% support a law requiring e-scooter riders to be assessed prior to riding. 66% believe a GDL system precluding (for 1 year) passengers accompanying new drivers would be effective... including 54% of 17-24-year-olds.

A VIRTUAL REALITY TOOL to reduce MOTORWAY ANXIETY

Drivers' CONCERNS were thematically analysed to be: [1] Joining and leaving multilane roads; [2] Maintaining headway and managing tailgating; [3] Overtaking and lane changing; [4]Sharing the motorway with other vehicles (e.g., HGVs); [5] Dealing with difficult roundabouts, especially those that lead on to motorways; [6] Maintaining safe speeds.
SOLUTION: via CRIE criteria (Comfortable, Realistic, Immersive, Engaging), thereby [a] Gentle exposure; [b] Self-paced; [c] Training and advice; [d] Immersion; [e] Safe.
TECHNIQUES: Listening to expert commentary leads to safer decision-making. Immersive environments improve hazard-spotting and learning retention. Learners can experience the scenarios they fear, safely, without consequence. DVSA's HPT is estimated to save the economy around £90M/yr through reduced collisions. This motorway-specific HPT can improve the ability to spot motorway-specific hazards.
EVALUATION by questions re. confidence, anxiety, errors, violations and knowledge, before and after training.
CONCLUSIONS: Each module increased driver confidence; Modules reduced specific areas of anxiety; Some modules are beneficial for other areas of anxiety too; Those who saw the whole course reported that it was enjoyable, informative and boosted confidence. (Project had α=0.05 but in fact achieved 1/100 significance level).
Some 'scaffolding' of the app remains to be done; its cost will deliberately be less than 1hr ADI tuition.
DVSA is more keen than ever to use video in illustrating driver performance criteria.
David Crundall co-founded 'esitusolutions.com' but continues at NTU (Lisa Dorn continues at Cranford uni.)
Dutch government is about to roll out Hazard Prediction Test (replacing Perception): UK may follow.
On GDL (latterly discounted in UK), only Canada sees young driver ability improve with peer passengers.
Insurance industry traditionally has no appetite for differentiated pricing based on pre-evidenced driver skill.

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Not a long wait … for New Year (not driving test !)

Best wishes for a safe end of 2025 / start of 2026 !

The public spending watchdog's [NAO's] report on the wait for a driving test

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in how government “reads” us

Understanding dashboard warning lights

IMTD meeting, 7-Dec-25

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