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DSA announces changes to car and trailer practical test

Posted by Freddy Morton


Caravan water heater owners will be interested to hear that the Driving Standards Agency has announced changes to the test for caravanners applying for a new car and trailer license.


Currently the test to qualify as a car-and-trailer, lorry, bus, or coach driver consists of uncoupling and coupling a trailer, completing an off-road reverse manoeuvre, answering vehicle safety questions and performing an off-road braking test.


In the new year candidates will be asked to perform the braking test on-road rather than off-road to allow examiners to assess their skills more thoroughly.


The road safety minister Mike Penning, announced that caravanners applying for a license will perform the braking exercise immediately before the angle start, where the driver is asked to pull away from behind a parked vehicle.


He said: "This update to the testing process reflects advances in modern braking technology and allows us to strengthen our assessment of the candidate's ability to brake safely in real traffic conditions."


The DSA recently announced that it would cease production of driving books which contained the questions and answers used in the driving theory test.