Thiruvananthapuram: Come Monday, and the driving license test in Kerala will become more stringent. The State Motor Vehicles Department has decided to put in place a more rigorous system to check the roadworthiness of aspiring drivers in an attempt to lessen road accidents.
The reforms will affect everything from license test rules to the length of iron rods that mark the ‘H’ sign learners are expected to navigate during the test.
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The length of the rods will be cut into half from the current five feet, making it more difficult for the learners to drive the four-wheelers inside the prescribed space. The driving instructors will no longer be able to mark the rods to help their students assess the turns.
Learners will not be permitted to look out the window or look behind their shoulder while driving the vehicle in reverse. They have to entirely depend on the rear-view mirror and the side mirrors.
The road test will also be tougher, with motor vehicle inspectors given strict instructions to test the learners’ ability to halt the vehicle on an incline and move it forward effortlessly. Most of the license applicants now get away by driving the vehicle on flat roads during the test.
The applicants will also have to show that they are able to park the car in reverse between two other vehicles. The parking test is fairly common in many of the countries. The new test is expected to lessen the confusion on Kerala roads created by attempts to squeeze in cars to limited parking space.
The department is working to identify government-owned land to conduct the new tests. This will enable them to expand the camera-and-sensor-assisted tests across the state.
