Report calls for hazard test as part of CBT

A new study suggests that compulsory basic training (CBT) should include a hazard perception test, and that more should be done to encourage learners to undertake an extended period of training after CBT.

The recommendations are from a research report published on 5 December by DfT and DVSA, which was commissioned to understand more about the riders who take CBT and to gather the views of CBT instructors.

The report says the majority of trainers would like to see the introduction of a theory test which learners would take prior to attending CBT, and some learners were also supportive of this idea. It also calls for more clarity about how the theory element of CBT should be taught as “there appears to be considerable variation in approach at the moment”.

The report suggests the core CBT course should be kept to one day but with a “strengthened requirement to extend training when needed”. It adds: “The duration of CBT courses should be determined by the pace at which learners reach a competent standard as they progress through the syllabus and courses can take longer than one day to complete.”

Cost – particularly for young people – and convenience are the main factors that discourage learners from supporting an extended training period.

The report says “it should be made easy and not overly costly for those who want extended training to be able to come back for another two hours on the road for example”.

It also includes a call for consistency in measuring knowledge of the Highway Code and says that learners with “little or no knowledge of the Highway Code” should be asked to come back when they have read it.

It also suggests that DVSA should look at ways for trainers to easily share best practice, and encourage trainers to adopt a client centred learning approach.

To see the full report, click here.