Driving standards agency CBR has said news in the Telegraaf of an ‘extra threshold’ for learner drivers before they take a test is premature, but could be on the cards if trials show it has an impact on pass rates.

Emile Roemer, who had been charged with coming up with measures to improve the quality of driving schools, has suggested bringing in an extra check by a second driving instructor, to see if the candidate is up to the official CBR driving test.

Some driving schools offer packages of only ten lessons after which they register the candidate for the official exam, clogging up the waiting list and often ending in failure. Some 3,000 driving tests a year have to be cut short because candidates drive dangerously, CBR figures show.

The new system is currently being tried out in a pilot project initiated by the infrastructure ministry together with the driving school sector and CBR. Once evaluated and supported in law, the new measure may be adopted, the CBR said.

The term ‘extra threshold’ is misleading because an extra test will ‘make sure the candidates are truly ready for the official driving test and have a greater chance of succeeding’, the agency said.

The legal driving age in the Netherlands is 18 although 17-year-olds who have passed their theory and practical tests can drive under the supervision of a more experienced driver. Youngsters can take the theory test at 16 and take lessons from the age of 16 and a half but cannot take the test until they turn 17.