Driving lessons can only be given by a qualified driving instructor. This is laid down in the Motor Vehicle Driver Instruction Act (WRM in Dutch). A driving instructor needs a diploma from the Dutch Institute of Certification and Examination for the Moblity Sector (IBKI in Dutch) and needs to do a refresher course for a minimum number of hours every five years. This refresher course consists of refreshing one’s theoretical knowledge and an assessment of the driving lessons given to candidates. The driver’s ed car also has to comply with a number of requirements (including dual control).
In the Netherlands, driving lessons are not required by law. But without driving lessons it is virtually impossible to pass the driving test. Candidates that pass the test have usually spent an average of 42 hours behind the wheel, sitting next to a driving instructor [1]. Driving test examiners have completed a training designed by the Dutch Driving Test Organisation (CBR in Dutch), have had a B licence for at least 10 years and have at least an mbo+ or havo certificate (Dutch secondary school levels).
Unlike most other European countries, the Netherlands do not have a national curriculum and no minimum number of lessons is required - neither theory lessons nor driving lessons – for taking a driving test. The Dutch freedom of education laid down by law is the reason for this. The subjects taught during the driver training are largely determined by what is assessed during the driving test. This implies that a number of subjects that are hard to test or that cannot be tested at all but are, however, important for road safety, are often not or hardly addressed. Examples are risk acceptance, self-awareness and resistance to peer pressure. Yet, these subjects are often (partly) why young novice drivers are involved in crashes [2] [3] [4] [5].
