Training on the highway, the abolition of the "site" and the timing of retake: approved new rules for a driver’s exam

The government has approved new rules for conducting a driver’s license test. The document was signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, according to a publication on the Cabinet’s website.

As follows from the comments of the government, the approved measures are designed to improve the system of access to transport management in connection with a change in the exam order.

According to the Cabinet, it is a question of “shifting the emphasis on verifying driving skills” of vehicles acquired during the training process to testing in “conditions of real road conditions”.

Approved changes will take effect in stages. With the advent of 2020, driving students will have the opportunity to travel on highways.

In an interview with RT, director of the National Public Center for Traffic Safety Sergei Kanaev noted the importance of this revision.

“As for highways, this thing is really necessary. Otherwise, we drove out drivers who do not know how to drive cars on highways. And, of course, they need to be taught without fail, ”Kanaev said.

More complex will be the change in the rules of exams, known as the "site" and "city". If earlier it was a question of two independent parts of the exam, now these types of checks are combined into one. Corresponding changes will come into force from October 2020.

• A man passes theoretical exams on the rules of the road in the traffic police department
• RIA News
• © Vladimir Astapkovich

Now the basic skills of driving a vehicle that previously tested the course of the exam at the площадке site ’will be required at the introductory part of a single test. For this purpose, closed areas, racetracks and “territories with a hard surface and restricted for the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians, or sections of roads with low traffic, dead-end sections of roads” will be used, ”the Cabinet specified.

An examining examiner in safe conditions will test these skills before leaving for the “city”. The government explained that this procedure would eliminate the possibility of allowing a driver with poor preparation for driving in traffic conditions and ensure safety of the test process itself.

At the same time, for motor vehicles, the practical exam or “platform” will remain unchanged and will be held in areas closed from the movement of other vehicles and pedestrians.

Among other changes is the ability to annul exam results for a negative assessment complaint.

The details of this measure last September were described by the head of the traffic police Mikhail Chernikov. He said that this measure will improve the quality of assessment of skills acquired by future drivers in the training process.

“The draft resolution introduces a mechanism for canceling the results of the examinations, which will allow, for example, to cancel a negative assessment in the case of satisfaction of the complaint about the unlawful actions of the examiner during the exam,” he said in an interview with TASS.

At the same time, the traffic police will be able to cancel the positive result, if the candidate for drivers has provided fake documents.

In addition to this, the deadlines for retaking exams have been specified. Check the "theory" will be possible no earlier than seven days, but no later than 30 days after the previous attempt. Before retaking the driving test, you will also have to wait at least seven, but no more than 60 days. If the third attempt fails, the next chance to pass the exam will be given no earlier than a month later, but no later than three months.

In addition, the document specifies the age at which you can start training for the subsequent acquisition of rights.

“So, a student driving on a motorcycle in the subcategory“ A1 ”or a moped must be at least 15 years old, on a car or truck - at least 16 years old, on a motorcycle of category“ A ”- at least 17 years old, on a bus, trolleybus and tram - not less than 20 years, ”the government explained.

In an interview with RT, Chairman of the Russian Motorists Movement Viktor Pokhmelkin pointed out that the approved changes are not too radical. However, he believes that the exam itself cannot reveal sustainable vehicle driving skills.

“He can only identify knowledge and primary skills. They can’t teach anything else in a driving school, the rest is given by experience. In any case, another year and a half or two people need to gain driving experience, ”the expert believes.