After changing the driving test laws

ginayu — Fri, 4 Nov 2011 22:47:00 GMT

South Korea's government changed the laws for driving test in10th June 2011. According to the new laws, it seems not only the test has become easier, but the appliers not to have to spend a lot of time and money so much.

It was January in 2011 when the Korean government announced their decision for changing the laws for driving test. They wanted to make the test easier by the economical reason. The people who want to get a driver's license had had been spending a mount of time and money so far for it. Although Korea has a reputation of its easiness to get the license by comparison with other countries, people had to spend more than 20hours to take the test, but it couldn't be easy as they had been ranked on the top for the longest time working in the world. But now, after 10th June, you could take the test if you have practiced driving cars more than 8 hours.

In Korea, the license acquisition has many steps. You have to take a traffic safety training class for 1 hour, and pass the physical test and written test first, and then you can admit for the technical skill test. If you pass the technical test, and then you'll get a permit on the load for one year to practice the road driving test. You have to practice it at least 6 hours with someone who has been driving cars more than 2 years. And then, you get a road driving test, and you'll be filly qualified for driving if you pass it.

Before the laws' changing, the technical skill test was more complicated and difficult. There were 11 items by then, but now, most of them including parking items has been removed, and you just have to know how to control the function in the car. Road driving isn't so difficult as well. You just have to drive a 5km course without breaking any laws. However, the inspectors check your score very strict then before.

It looks very simple, and it is. But you might wonder they really can drive car. The answer is, of course, no. As you know, the most people can't drive so well as they've got the permit, even though they've practiced it so hard. But now, the newbies even can't do parking. They still need practicing.

Once I've heard complaining about the new laws from an instructors who was working for a driving school. "Because of its easiness, lots of people come out on the road with their cars even though they aren't really able to drive enough."

Another instructor said it has been more difficult to get a driver's license. It has been easier to loose the points though, you mustn't loose more than 30 points to get the license, you people don't practice it. The appliers' response isn't that optimistic as well. They think it's not enough to pass the test although they practiced it more than 10 hours, and it is easy to fail. Nevertheless it the school's tuition fee has been increased. They usually charge the fee per hours, but they can't so much money due to decreasing the lesson hours. That's why the tuition fee has been grown-up. The people usually make a 12 hours or a 15 hours contract, and they realise that it can't be enough when the contract soon to be finished. If they want to have more lessons, they have to pay more and more. Otherwise, they would be failed it.

Does the Korean government make wrong decision? I wouldn't say 'Yes'. However, I wonder if they've considered the real situation enough.

Photos: My Photo scholarship 2011 entry

ginayu — Fri, 4 Nov 2011 20:44:00 GMT

I have 5 photos with an article about the driving test exam in Korea. I've taken the faces of the applicants, and the atmosphere of the place. The first two pictures are about the people. The applicants and the people who are listening the explanation about the exam from the police. And I also put two pictures of the cars for the test on the road.