A high number of Approved Driving Instructors (ADIs) believe that the current Highway Code learner license questions are lagging behind the technology available to new drivers. More than 1,000 ADIs were questioned by RightDriver.co.uk, with many of them also voicing the opinion that today's learner drivers might be at a disadvantage in terms of picking the safest vehicle, simply because many of them are unaware of the available options. One of the primary issues is based around the electronic stability control (ESC).æ The ESC has been a compulsory requirement in all European manufactured vehicles for over two years.æ However, despite being actively featured in Rule 120, it isn't actually mentioned in the advisory section. Nearly 80% of ADIs surveyed believed that ESC should be included in learner study materials, as an ABS has the potential for saving a vehicle from skidding in a number of different hazardous situations. A number of other modern driving factors are also ignored by the Highway Code, including EuroNCAP (Europe), ANCAP (Australia) and JNCAP (Japan) crash testing regimes, and there is little to no mention of hybrid or electric vehicle technology, even though such vehicles are now widely available.æ Again, almost two thirds of the ADIs surveyed believed that hybrid vehicle knowledge should be included within learner materials. Darren Cottingham, the director for Right Driver, said: "If young drivers are not aware of their options, they are less likely to make the safest decision when it comes to purchasing a car. "Vehicle distributors and dealers know that consumer demand is one of the key drivers behind the adoption of safety technology by manufacturers. "To accelerate the transition to a safer vehicle fleet, knowledge of safety features needs to be ubiquitous." Many ADIs believe that the Highway Code should reduce the number of duplicated questions, and should instead focus on more specific information about topics such as how to choose the safest vehicle.
