The Government of the City of Buenos Aires announced this morning substantial changes in the practical and theoretical driving test for drivers of category B1, which includes those who take the registration for the first time or those who have expired the card and have to carry out the procedure again from scratch. In turn, the extension in the validity of the driver’s license by age range of the drivers was announced. The Secretary of Citizen Attention and Communal Management of Buenos Aires, Julia Domeniconi, spoke exclusively with Filo.News and indicated: “The paradigm shift occurs in the change of the practical exam in a real situation, when before it was given on the driving track of Parque Roca. This generates that the reactions of the driver on public roads are evaluated, if he respects the road rules such as: the way to brake at a traffic light, if he passes the pedestrian crossing line, if when parking he leaves room on the disabled ramp, if when an ambulance passes he sees the way, etc. ”
“The paradigm shift occurs in the change of the practical exam in a real situation, when before it was performed on the driving track of Parque Roca.”
Julia Domeniconi, Secretary of Citizen Attention and Community Management.
The objective of this modification in the driving exams responds to “improve safety and road coexistence, and ensure an agile and close procedure”. Within the first stage, the exam will include driving on the streets of Comuna 12 with double command cars, but it is expected to be extended in another 10 communal headquarters by the month of October. Both the theoretical and practical exams can be taken on the same day. How is the new practical exam on the street
The practical exam will be on public roads and will include a route of between 200 and 300 meters, which will take between 10 and 15 minutes. The radius of the route made by the drivers will be “signposted and previously published on the website of the City of Buenos Aires” so that the neighbors know where the applicants circulate.
Julia Domeniconi, Secretary of Citizen Attention and Community Management.
Applicants will be able to know in advance the dashboard of the car to which they will climb and will have the option to choose the type of gearbox between manual and automatic, according to the vehicle with which they have practiced or that they will drive once the license is obtained.
Monitoring center.
In addition, for greater caution, double-command cars will be used that will be connected to an integrated monitoring system. “They have two cameras, one internal and one external, where the two people will be shown inside the vehicle and the route; and a geolocation system, which will be controlled in real time from the operational center,” said Domeniconi.
“This system also allows that if the instructor realizes that the applicant cannot handle the situation, he automatically takes control of the vehicle,” he explained.
Changes in the theoretical exam
Within the theoretical exam, a more exhaustive questionnaire will govern the applicants. The number of questions was increased, from 30 to 40 and in turn the percentage of effectiveness of the test was increased, which until today was 75% and from tomorrow will be 85%, which represents 34 correct answers. As for the time will remain the same, the applicant will have 45 minutes to complete it.
“The driver must have a greater knowledge of the road rules to take the theoretical exam,” it is said.
Extension of driver’s license terms
The terms of validity of the driver’s license for categories B1 will be extended to a period of 10 years for those people who are between 16 and 39 years old, given that “the statistical data of the City show that this age range ends up extending the licenses for 5 years and that people just from the age of 40 those who present a decrease in their abilities”. New maximum validity periods: From 16 to 39 years: 10 years. From 40 to 49 years: 6 years. From 50 to 69 years: 4 years.70 years and more: 2 years. Also, for the beginner category, the 2-year validity that was previously established is eliminated; however, traffic restrictions are maintained by arteries with a maximum speed of up to 70 km / h for the first 6 months and zero alcohol for 2 years. It should be noted that in the City the disqualification of between two months and two years governs, to those drivers who drive under the influence of alcohol and the disqualification varies according to the seriousness of the matter. In addition, they have to pay the fine and take a course to obtain the license again. The new measure is inspired by the country’s international experienceis highlighted in road safety policies that have a practical instance of similar characteristics. Among them are: France, Finland, Hungary, Holland, Spain, Austria, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Greece, Switzerland and Lithuania.
