Examiners will now wear body cameras
Since the 25th of January, driving test examiners will now wear body cameras following frightening attacks from angry learners.
What’s the reason for this?
It comes after an increase in hostile incidents, one of which saw a frustrated learner begin hitting a door with a fire extinguisher in an attempt to break it down after failing their test. One anonymous driving examiner meanwhile said they had been left feeling “really uncomfortable” approaching dual carriageways after an incident where an abusive learner began swerving erratically across three lanes, causing traffic to swerve out of the way.
Footage of violent and abusive attacks will be passed to police, while offending learners face the possibility of having their records marked. This means it could take longer for them to get a future test, as managers may decide they need two examiners in the car as a safety precaution.
When will the cameras be used?
The cameras will be an essential part of the uniform, for examiners’ safety.
They will only be switched on if the examiner feels threatened or captures inappropriate behavior. The footage, where appropriate, will be used to prosecute offenders if abuse occurs.
The cameras cannot be used to dispute a candidate’s test result.
