Gairloch driving instructor believes UK high pass rate tells only part of the story, with different challenges for rural motorists looking to take their test
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IT may have the highest pass rate of any driving test centre in the UK, but don’t expect an easy ride of it if tempted to take your test in Gairloch, a local instructor has warned.
Figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) in July showed that the Wester Ross coastal village enjoyed a 86.5 per cent pass rate, far above the national average of 48.5 per cent.
The data sparkled debate over the fact that the highest passing rates have been recorded in rural areas, whereas rates in cities and towns can rate much lower – with Birmingham scoring just 28.6 per cent in Birmingham, and centres in London and Liverpool having pass ratings of 30 and 32.5 per cent.
Local driving instructor and firefighter, Kenny Tallach, says Gairloch’s famous pass rate has attracted interest from would-be drivers as far afield as London.
But the 52-year-old warned that the difficulties of driving in the Highlands are very different from the challenges in a urban environment, and he has been forced to turn away some long distance hopefuls looking for an easier ride.
He said: “It’s a very different speed you get used to: driving in rural areas tends to be more relaxed but you move faster than in a city and you have to learn how to drive on narrow roads on which you may suddenly find a sheep, have to make space for another car or dodge people walking on the road.
“We get teased about the fact that we don’t have roundabouts and traffic lights – and of course, I would encourage people to experience driving in cities like Inverness before taking their exam, but driving here is altogether a very different experience
“I had people coming here from London, Edinburgh and Glasgow looking to sign up for what they think is an easy exam, but often I had to turn them down because they couldn’t even change the gear and they are in an area they don’t know, which will make the test even more difficult.
“I can’t stop anyone booking their exam but I would refuse to lend them my car if I thought they were not ready yet.”
Mr Tallach’s goal as a teacher in his 27-year-long career is to prepare people for the road rather than tailoring the lessons on the exam.
“I want to make sure that people drive safely, especially the younger ones, and with the issue we experience with drink driving and drugs. I tend to show people examples of scrapped cars and just try to let them understand that it’s not a game, that not only their lives but other people’s lives are at stake.”
