Every young driver knows and fears the term “K53”. This is the South African Driving test – failed by most first time drivers and according to some experts passed on average only at the 4th attempt!
The CEO of the Road Traffic Management Corporation has recently announced that a new system might be developed to replace the “ineffective” K53 driving test. Mr Ranthoko Rakgoale told the parliament portfolio committee on transport that “nobody really applied” the techniques taught by the K53 system. He said that ‘When you drive, you don’t do all those things’, and that we should not subject people to something we don’t even monitor….
The problem with the road safety in South Africa might however stretch far beyond the effectiveness of the K53. Once a person has passed the K53 he is equipped with a decent theoretical knowledge of traffic signs and the Rules of the Road. What is perhaps more important is what happens from this point…what do we do to enforce compliance on the roads, to remove non-roadworthy vehicles, drunk drivers etc?
The theoretical knowledge of a driving test is only a small component of what is required for safe driving…and do we remember what we have studies years ago….?
On the Arrive Alive website we have made available a link to a mobile K53 Application that allows learner drivers to test themselves and their knowledge of the K53. We would like to invite our road users to test their knowledge with this application!