SUNDAY, MAY 27, 1984
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LANE-CHANGING IS BIG LEARNER DRIVER PROBLEM
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MOST CANDIDATES TAKING PRIVATE CAR DRIVING TESTS IN HONG KONG TO OBSERVE THE TRAFFIC SITUATION BEFORE CHANGING LANES, DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WERE TOLD DURING A RECENT SEMINAR ORGANISED BY THE TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT.
THE DEPARTMENT'S STATISTICS SHOW THAT 64 PER CENT OF THE CANDIDATES COMMIT THE ERROR -- THE MOST COMMON AMONG DRIVING TEST CANDIDATES IN HONG KONG.
THE INSTRUCTORS WERE TOLD OF THE NEED TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR, TO SIGNAL, AND THEN MAKE A 'SHOULDER CHECK, FOR ANY ON-COMING VEHICLES FROM THE REAR AND SIDES. THIS WAY THE DRIVER WILL BE ABLE TO SEE CLEARLY THE TRAFFIC SITUATION ON ALL SIDES.
OTHER COMMON MISTAKES IN DRIVING TESTS INCLUDE WRONG PLACEMENT OF TURNS AND FAILURE TO ADJUST SPEED TO THE TRAFFIC SITUATION.
THE SEMINAR WAS CONDUCTED BY TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT FOR PRIVATE CAR DRIVING INSTRUCTORS WITH THE AIM OF RAISING DRIVING STANDARDS IN HONG KONG.
SEVENTY SUCH SEMINARS HAVE BEEN HELD BETWEEN JULY 1983 TO APRIL THIS YEAR. ATTENDANCE TOTALLED 1 981, REPRESENTING ALMOST ALL ACTIVE PRIVATE CAR DRIVING INSTRUCTORS,
MR TANG CHUEK-FAN OF TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT'S DRIVING TEST DIVISION SAID THE DEPARTMENT WAS HAPPY WITH THE TURNOUT RATE.
*I AM SURE THE SEMINARS HAVE BEEN USEFUL TO DRIVING INSTRUCTORS BY LETTING THEM KNOW ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT'S REQUIREMENTS, HE SAID.
+WE WILL CONSIDER ORGANISING SIMILAR SEMINARS FOR INSTRUCTORS OF OTHER TYPES OF VEHICLES, SUCH AS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, IF RESOURCES PERMIT.+
MR TANG POINTED OUT THAT THE CURRENT PASS RATE FOR FIRST-TIME PRIVATE CAR CANDIDATES TAKING COMBINED TESTS IS ABOUT 17 PER CENT.
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