How Does a Driver's Test Keep Bad Drivers Off the Road?
- A driver's test to obtain a license varies from state to state, but even so, the majority of these states divide this into three categories that must be passed. The three categories are the visual, written, and driving portions. People who may be partially blind or who can not see clearly enough without glasses are weeded out in the visual exam portion of driving. Glasses can be used during the visual portion but must be on hand in order to be used to pass for those who need them. The written portion of the exam tests a potential driver's knowledge of the rules of the road such as road sign meanings and signals. The written portion is usually multiple choice and is not open book. The driving portion is where a licensed worker at the DMV rides with a driver over a predetermined course to put to practice "real world" driving skills.
By testing, bad drivers will never initially get on the road. If any portion of the test is failed, then it must be retaken instead of giving a cumulative score of all three averages. This prevents those who may not understand road signs, for instance, or who can not see clearly, from getting on the road. Without a keen display of skills that is brought together all at once by a test taker, a potential driver will not obtain a license within that state or any other.- So, why are there still so many bad drivers on the road and how are they removed? The answer is systematic retesting. Every state that issues a driver's license also places an expiration date on that license. At the point of that expiration date, the licensed driver must go back to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and retake each portion of the test. This ensures that drivers at least maintain an acceptable knowledge of the state laws of the road and also can perform them to standard in the future. Although some drivers revert back to bad driving habits, law enforcement is also in place to help police the road of those who are making dangerous mistakes. For those who fail and do not retake that portion, they do not receive a license until all tests are passed, keeping them off the road unless illegally driving without a license.
