Taking the test, Thirties-style

OF all the dramatic changes that have affected motorists over the past 70 years, one thing has remained virtually unchanged - the driving test.

Although a high-tech, hazard perception test is about to be introduced, the rest is pretty much the way it was when introduced in 1935.

Indeed, you can still take the test in a 1930s car. I chose a Vauxhall saloon that was new when you had to take a driving exam for the first time.

Who needs a modern car with easy controls, airbags and antilock brakes? The 1935 Vauxhall saloon I was driving, was designed in the days of hand signals and "double de-clutching" - a smoother way of changing gear. The vehicle was loaned to us from Vauxhall's pristine heritage collection.

It's 20 years since I passed the test but the memories of that Always tricky: the Vauxhall tackles the three-point turn hot afternoon in rural Herefordshire came flooding back as I took to the trafficpacked streets around Heathrow.

In the seat next to me, complete with clipboard and straight face, was Keith Cameron, former chief driving instructor for the Department of Transport, and now, in retirement, in charge of road safety at BSM, the driving school.

We calculated he had tested more than 34,000 people in just the first 15 years of his career.

Forget "virtual reality", Cameron was very real, and probably Britain's most highly qualified driving instructor. He passed his test first time in 1952 and the only person who can tell him to get out and walk is his wife.

Our classic Vauxhall is a car people love to smile at but would probably hate to drive.

Built in the mid-1930s, it has fewer features than the new Vectra and comes with a limited list of standard equipment. This did include a large sunroof, windscreen wipers and a glove box.

Of more immediate concern to Cameron and myself was the lack of safety belts and proper indicators, plus a gearbox that, when engaged, sometimes sounded as if you had dropped a spanner in the works.

After pulling the starter knob and firing up the engine, the gearbox threw up another surprise because, compared with modern gearboxes, it is back to front. First is where second should be, and third is somewhere way down by my knee where fourth should be.

I was given a mile or two to become accustomed to the eccentricities of a car that was built before my father was born, then we headed for the nightmare of the A315.

Having agreed to skip the theory test, Cameron told me my much- practised hand signals were no longer required. However, I had to reverse into a parking space and the tiny rear window meant there was a good chance of clipping nearby cars.

Every examiner's nightmare is the emergency stop. Without safety belts this could present a problem but as the Vauxhall was not equipped with ABS, EBD, ESP or any of the other modern assisted- braking systems, we gently rolled to a halt on a Feltham housing estate road.

On the Vauxhall, 6in-long illuminated "trafficator" arms popup when you flick the indicator switch on the steering column. However, in heavy traffic, I still managed to slip in the odd hand signal. One driver actually waved back.

Operating the handbrake for the hill start also proved difficult. While most current cars have a handle between the front seats, the Vauxhall's lever was up near the dashboard. In fact, every simple operation we take for granted in a modern car is more laborious in older vehicles.

By now I was handling the gearbox with some familiarity and only the three-point turn stood between me and a chance to tear up the L- plates. A quiet industrial estate gave me the opportunity to show off my observation skills and I was almost home and dry.

Unfortunately, I hadn't seen the Jeep Cherokee approaching from behind and I needed to extract every ounce of horsepower from the grumbling engine to ensure a smooth recovery.

There was also a Mexican stand-off with a large delivery vehicle - another black mark on my exam sheet.

By the time we pulled up, the silence was unbearable.

Cameron totted up the marks and, in that sterile voice that examiners must train for years to achieve, informed me: "I'm delighted to inform you that you have passed your driving test."

I have to say the elation was as great that moment as 20 years ago.

Back then I borrowed my father's car for the first time, discovered the delights of a car radio and headed off into the sunset. This time I would have settled for a lie down in a dark corner.

Cameron said: "I have tested a lot of experienced drivers and many would fail the modern test because they have forgotten the basics - they drive too close, don't use the mirrors and abuse the gears.

"The driving test itself hasn't changed much since the early days but cars and traffic have. I don't believe the current test is perfect but it certainly sets a high standard."

Copyright 2002
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