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Motoring experts weigh in on need to upgrade K53 driving test
The Mercury
|April 09, 2025
SOUTH Africa’s roads are among the most dangerous in the world, with around 120000 people losing their lives each year.This has fuelled recent calls to revisit the K53 driving licence test in South Africa, with many suggesting a significant improvement in the training and testing needed in light of the low standard of driving behaviour.
The K53 driving test was conceived in the early 1980s as a project by the CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research). It consists of a written test, which allows successful candidates to obtain a learner’s licence, as well as a practical test that results in a full driver’s licence with restrictions on newly licensed drivers.
Though based on the UK driving test of the time, the K53 is now four decades out of date.
Craig Absendaan, founder of the BlackBuck Academy Training Academy, says the K53 driving test has its merits as a defensive driving system because it teaches a driver the importance of situational awareness, anticipation and hazard identification.
He mentions that there are several shortcomings, but points out there is a lack of mandatory driver training and a easy loophole in the system may favour drivers prone to breaking rules.
This story is from the April 09, 2025 edition of The Mercury.
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