Are You a Good Driver? Try India's Automated Driving Test to Really Find Out

Think you can pass the driving test in the Philippines with flying colors? Then perhaps, you haven't taken the automated driving test at Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi, India.

This driving test is created to make sure that only trained and expert drivers get a permanent license, so it's more difficult and nerve-wracking. In fact, it's so challenging that 50-60 applicants out of the average 120 applicants fail the test each day. There are even some who quit in the middle of the examination.

Here's why: Unlike what we have here where we do simple obstacle courses and easy maneuvering, the automated test tracks "simulate tougher driving conditions" that challenge a broader range of the applicant's knowledge and skill.

Features of the Automated Driving Test

The entire driving test is recorded using eight, sensor-based, CCTV cameras strategically placed around the entire track. The driver's biometrics, along with visual identification, is also recorded, and fed live in a control room. This is where the evaluation and grading are automatically done by a software.

The actual driving test will consist of driving on a one-acre track that is challenging to maneuver on, so the bends are more difficult to drive through.

Aside from that, the driver will have to drive up an inclined track, stop the vehicle, and use the handbrakes to prevent the car from rolling down. He or she will also have to drive through an 8-shaped track without touching the curbs, perform a parallel parking, and even do a reverse ’S’ Test to complete the exam.

The final result will generate an analysis of the driver's performance, from the number of times the curb has been hit, to even unsolicited stops and other driving mistakes made by the applicant. These results, among many others, will affect the final grade that will be given by India's Motor Vehicle Inspectors (MVI).

No "Human Element" in the Test

One notable feature of the driving test is its absence of a transport official. There will be no one riding the vehicle except the applicant to eliminate "the human element from the exercise."  This prevents bribery from taking place during and after the examination.

The Delhi government hopes that this new form of driving test will not only screen the "expert" drivers from the rest, but also lessen corruption and red tape.

Now it makes us wonder if this type of driving test should also be implemented in the Philippines.