Government authorities announced the entry into force of a new highway code last Tuesday, September 12. This exam has been modified to make it easier for candidates to understand.
The objective of this new code is to refocus on the importance of road signs at the center of the attention of learner drivers. As a result, the success rate could increase.
The Decree concerning the regulation of the use of roads open to public traffic, which the public quickly called the Highway Code, was promulgated on May 27, 1921. This French Highway Code is revised par the decree of December 31, 1922 which gives in particular to the “certificate of capacity” its definitive name of driving license and sets an age limit of 18 years for driving automobiles, 16 years for motorcycles. The current Highway Code emerges from an ordinance of December 15, 1958.
The recent proliferation of new modes of individual motorized transport, hybrides between pedestrians and vehicles, such as self-balancing scooters, scooters and electric bikes, raises the question of the applicable legislation. In 2019, it was adapted to electric scooters under the category “motorized personal transportation devices”.
There are now 1.037 questions that make up the ETG, each of which has been rewritten to make it easier to understand. The wording has been simplified to be more easily understood.
Technical vocabulary is now used less or better explained. Additionally, so that no confusion is possible, important details of the image are often described in the question as in the example below. The explanations sometimes give rise to longer questions.
Likewise, the visuals of some questions have been modified by replacing the synthetic images par shots taken with drones. The vehicle(s) on which the scenario questions relate are now circled in yellow on the visuals, in order to clearly support the information.
In your everyday life, you are also a pedestrian, a cyclist or even have ridden a scooter! It is important to be aware of the points of view and constraints of each user for better coexistence on the road. For these reasons, photos or videos can now be taken while riding a bicycle, scooter or motorcycle. They can also be taken through the prism of a pedestrian or a heavy goods vehicle driver. When this is the case, a pictogram appears on the image of the question.
The ETG (General Theoretical Examination) is also simplified on multiple choice questions by specifying the words "several correct answers" when two correct answers must be ticked.
Finally, around ten new questions appear, asking the driver to analyze the situations from the point of view of another user (pedestrian, motorcyclist, cyclist, etc.).
For the rest, everything remains the same. The general theoretical exam covers 40 questions selected randomly from the database and requires at least 35 correct answers to be obtained. It is then valid for 5 years until the practical exam is passed, with no limit on presentations.