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Mandatory driving tests begin Beginning this month, the Department of Motor Vehicle Safety will initiate mandatory on-the-road driving tests for anyone getting their first Class D driver1s license. In the past, many applicants were only required to pass a series of maneuvers among cones in a secluded parking lot driving course. All new applicants statewide will be required to take a comprehensive on-the-road driving test to fully demonstrate traffic skills. The drivers will first go through a series of pre-test maneuvers in a confined area. After passing the pre-test, they will then move out onto a pre-determined test route where they will be evaluated on traffic and safety skills such as yielding the right of way, proper turn signaling, backing and parallel parking. This new requirement is in accordance with Senate Bill 1 passed by the General Assembly during the 2001 Legislative Session. "Our goal is to increase the likelihood that everyone that earns a Georgia driver's license, especially teenage drivers, can demonstrate good and safe driving skills in a real life traffic situation," said DMVS Commissioner Tim Burgess. Another new policy aimed at reducing the wait time at driver's license customer service centers is a statewide appointment-only system for those with learner's licenses needing to take the on-the-road test. This new program will primarily affect young drivers with their learner's permit who are getting their permanent regular (Class D) license for the first time. These teens are required to bring a parent or guardian with them who must typically take time from their busy schedules. This appointment system will allow those who need to take the road test and their families to plan their time more accurately and be less inconvenienced. Up until now, this reservation system had only been available in the metro Atlanta area. The central reservation system will be open from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Appointments will be scheduled for weekdays, including Saturday, during business hours and can be made up to 30 days in advance. The telephone number customers must call to make an appointment in the metro Atlanta area is 678-413-8500 and (866) 754-3687 (a toll-free call) throughout the rest of the state.
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