Letters: French driving theory tests are too hard for older drivers

To the Editor,

I have an overseas licence that expired in 2006, and I have been dependent on my husband to do all the driving since then, as I have had to cope with early hip arthritis

Now I am retired, and facing the prospect of re-obtaining my driving licence from scratch, in France, as my husband’s sight is failing. We are both 70 years old. 

However, the driving theory test is so comprehensive, that you could qualify for the police force if you happen, by chance, to pass it. 

The test contains 40 multiple-choice questions, most of which contain up to 4 sub-questions, based on 10 different themes relating to everything you must know before getting behind the wheel of a car. 

Older drivers in France increasingly want to maintain road skills

It is not just about testing your knowledge of the driving code, road signs etc., it’s about testing your mechanical knowledge of the car, your knowledge of every possible infraction, of how many years imprisonment and the exact amount of the fine if committing an infraction, your basic first aid if you arrive at the scene of an accident, as well as what side of the road to park on in case you find a parking sign with half-monthly alternating parking in a street with houses numbered odd on one side as even on the other. 

I could go on, the irrelevance of many of the questions is beyond belief. 

The test is also designed to 'age' the candidate: it takes approximately three years to pass if one is learning the 2000+ randomly selected questions by rote. 

By then, people who started learning at 18 will be 21.

At 21, if they are lucky enough to get their “practical” exam and they may obtain a probationary licence (A-plate). 

The A-licence has a capital of only 6 points instead of 12 points, you must drive at slower speeds, and cannot drink even one glass of wine before driving (unless you wait for 2 hours). 

You can lose your probationary licence at the drop of a hat. But if you manage to keep it, you have to wait 3 years for a full licence. 

Can non-French citizens drive licence-free cars?

So by that time, many young drivers will be 24 years old, and hence past the age when most road accidents are supposed to occur.

This may be one of the reasons that I see very few A-drivers on the road in France - they are still trying to pass the code, or simply not driving at all, just holding onto their licence for 3 years without driving. 

However, in the case of senior drivers, it seems that “ageing" the candidate is not such a good idea ….. 

Debra Ziegeler, by email

Have you acquired a driving license in France? How difficult was it for you to pass the theory test? Let u s know at letters@connexionfrance.com