I am extremely disappointed with the road-test experience at Drayden Insurance in Morinville.
The biggest concern was communication. The examiner's English was difficult for my daughter to understand, and there were several instructions she did not clearly understand during and before the test. For a road test, where the driver is being evaluated on following instructions and making safe decisions in real time, clear communication is extremely important.
There was also confusion regarding playground zones versus school zones. We were not given a clear explanation beforehand that the rules can differ depending on the municipality and whether a playground zone is actually posted. My daughter was marked down multiple times for driving 30 km/h in areas where she understood there was a playground but where there was no posted playground-zone sign. This is particularly concerning because the rules need to be clearly understood by a new driver before they are evaluated on them.
Another concern was the impression that not having taken formal driver's training was being held against her. The examiner failed the previous student and mentioned several times to him that that taking drivers training is very important. This left us with the impression that students who have not taken driver's training may be viewed differently.
I completely understand that a road test is meant to evaluate safe driving but that an examiner must be able to identify errors and clearly communicate municipalities differences..
My concern is not simply that my daughter failed. It is that we left the test feeling that she was not given a fair opportunity to understand the instructions and expectations, and that communication difficulties and the lack of driver's training may have influenced the experience.
I would encourage Drayden to review how road-test instructions are communicated to students and ensure that the criteria are applied consistently to all applicants. read more