After
changing the driving test laws
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.
