Learner motorists to undergo mandatory simulation training from 2019
Traffic Police to make simulation training mandatory from 2019
Mandatory simulation training will be implemented for all learner motorists in 2019.
This was one of three initiatives announced by the Traffic Police (TP) yesterday to better educate both learner motorists and existing licence holders.
Simulation training will allow learner motorists to practise defensive driving or riding in a safe environment and encounter situations that may not be recreated easily during practical lessons, such as wet roads or potential traffic accidents.
There were 8,444 road accidents that led to death or injuries last year, the highest since 2012, said the Singapore Police Force website.
"The idea is for learners to have an experience, what it feels like to be in an accident. That is how your driving behaviour will be shaped greatly," said TP Commander, Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Sam Tee.
The three driving schools will each have one driving and one riding simulator on trial by the first quarter of next year.
FEEDBACK
The TP will gather feedback from the learners and instructors before implementing the compulsory training in 2019.
There will also be changes to the TP online learning portal and the Provisional Driving Licence (PDL).
From today, Basic and Final Theory Tests handbooks will be made available online for free in four languages - English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.
The physical production of handbooks will stop.
Plus, mock Basic, Final and Riding Theory Tests will be available on the portal next year, allowing learners to practise using the same questions that appear in the actual tests.
From next year, the online portal will also feature animated videos on major causes of fatal and injury-causing accidents as well as updates on new traffic policies, rules and signs.
Applications for a PDL can be done online from the fourth quarter this year and hard-copy PDLs will no longer be issued.
The validity of PDLs will also be extended to two years from six months.
The cost of each application remains unchanged at $25.
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