āAs of July 3, learner drivers will have quicker road tests after the time was reduced by 10 minutes.
ICBC revealed that the Class 7 and Class 5 road tests will now only take 35 minutes to complete, instead of 45 minutes.
The Class 7 and 5 tests are a learner driver’s first steps in attaining their driving licence, and the freedom that comes with it.
- You might also like:
- Half of BCās new drivers fail their road test, and that's held steady for years
- Vancouver Porsche "L" driver caught speeding over 100 km/h above the limit
- Speeding N driver gets parent's brand-new Tesla impounded in Burnaby
Jerry Boal, ICBC driver licensing office manager, explained that the shorter tests in BC now align with the road test standards in other provinces.
“The changes were made for ICBC to match up with other provinces that are currently operating with road test deployments of no more than 35 minutes including Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and many of the provinces through Canada,” said Boal.
One of the expected reasons behind the time reduction is the ICBC’s ability to better accommodate test demand.
The demand for road tests in BC has been soaring, with a media release from ICBC revealing that the number of tests taken in May was up 24% from the monthly average.
With the 10-minute time reduction, ICBC is expecting to have a 22% increase in road test capacity.
michaeljung/Shutterstock
The shortened time will naturally mean changes within the test itself, which according to Boal has involved “redesigning the road portion.”
Parallel parking and backing maneuvers will remain the same, but hazard perception in Class 7 road tests will now take place in the general drive instead of the parking maneuver.
“We also wanted to make sure we can reduce the road test by 10 minutes by reducing the number of duplicated maneuvers such as some turns, intersection throughs, and conducting our hazard production on road instead of having to pull over and park,” said Boal.
Boal is optimistic about the changes and believes it will be a “huge benefit” to new drivers.
“We are confident in the quality of the shorter tests and we don’t expect this to reduce or have any impact on road safety.”