Professor Volodymyr Polishchuk of the National Transport University of Ukraine has developed methods that help to evaluate the professional ability of the person to drive a vehicle.

@"We examine an invdividual and determine to a high degree of accuracy how much time it will take for them to master driving techniques. The methods used in testing are as follows: various road situation are shown on a screen and the movement and concentration of future driver are fixed with the help of special equipment. Then a schedule is worked out based on which the result are defined, Polishchuk explains. The most interesting thing, he continues, is that one week is enough for one person, two weeks for another, three months for a third individual, while the forth person is totally incapable of driving based on its psycho-physical reactions. The last category of people should not be allowed to get behind the wheel of a car. Practical application of these methods would allow future drivers to save money and driving instructors to use an individual approach to their pupils."

This method has thus far not been widely used. Most driving courses today work on outdated methods: they propose students a program on studying automobile mechanisms and the theory of driving, but there is no practical training for possible crisis situations that may happen on the road.

Students of driving schools work out the answers to questions concerning traffic rules visually shown in the form of colored schemes in a computer program to the point where they can automatically answer them. The future drivers use up the standard 60 liters of gasoline during their driving practice lessons. These are basically all skills that the graduates of driving courses acquire.

As is commonly known to many potential drivers in Ukraine, driver’s licenses are often bought through a bribe given to workers of the State Automobile Inspection. As a result, the number of cars and drivers grows and accordingly the number of car accidents caused through drivers’ fault rise.

@"Naturally, a ban on the right to drive a vehicle violates the Constitution of Ukraine. However, giving a person incapable of driving due to their psychomotor reactions the right to drive a vehicle is a crime. It is a fact that not everybody can pilot an aircraft. So why does everybody try to sit behind the wheel of a car?, Polishchuk ponders, adding, “This issue must be raised by society as a sign of its concern for all drivers."

The professor is convinced of the need for a qualitatively new method of training drivers. In his opinion, special attention must be given to studying different road situations in practice, formation of the driver’s reactive skills and development of adequate psychomotor reactions.

Commentary

Hennadiy Hrebnyov, a spokesman for the State Automobile Inspection of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine:
“The problem of the quality of driver training is very relevant at the moment. The current system of training in many courses is outdated: the students learn about engines that are practically no longer used in modern times. There is no individual approach to every person wanting to obtain a driver’s license. It is true that one person might require 10 hours to learn driving skills and another person might not be capable of driving at all. Polishchuk’s development, in my opinion, must be applied. Of course, such a decision must be made at the official level.”

Lev Kaplan, First Vice President of the International Federation of Protection of Drivers’ Rights:
“In my opinion, there are problems that influence the high number of car accidents. The first one is training of drivers. Our organization proposes to accept to driving schools and courses only those people who bring a medical reference on the general state of their health and the results of tests conducted by a certified psychologist or psychotherapist. Also, it is necessary to license all operating schools and courses to check their compliance with learning programs, materials and the technical base. The learning program of the course and exam must contain the theory and practice of anti-accident training.
The condition of the vehicles on the roads is also of great concern: 30% of vehicles are up to 5 years old, 35% - 5-10 years and 35% — over 10 years. The ratio between the number of vehicles and SAI employees makes it impossible to conduct timely, high quality and unbiased inspection of their technical condition. That is why we propose to ban the use of cars that are over 20 years old, unless the necessary constructive changes of the running gears and engines are made. Technical control should be given to specialized enterprises, organizations and car repair stations through tenders. It is also necessary to improve the level of education of all participants of traffic and envisage in the legislation stricter liability for violation of traffic rules.”