The Spanish Government is considering the possibility of learning how to drive outside the car school, the car schools against
- The new model could save students thousands of euros. Teachers at the auto schools criticize the plan and expose the danger that may arise on the roads. They warn that the new measure “jeopardizes the employment of thousands of teachers.”
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior, together with the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT in Spanish), is considering changing the model for obtaining a driver’s license. Based on models from the US, France and Sweden and promoted by the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC), candidates would have the opportunity to learn how to drive with family or friends. This measure could lead to savings for self-school students, since the average cost of getting a driver’s license varies between 1,000 and 1,500 euros, and in some places, such as Gipuzkoa, this amount can even double.
Currently in Spain, self-driving schools are the only option to obtain a driver’s license, both theoretically and practically. Students have criticized this model because it is “expensive and there is no transparency in the exams.” In the words of Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, they want to “facilitate access,” but “always prioritizing road safety.”
Distrust in Auto Schools
Iñigo Montenegro, president of the Basque Federation of Motor Schools, believes that the change could compromise road safety: “I think it’s reckless that people who don’t have teacher training work as tutors and help candidates who don’t have initial training.” In addition, he warns that replacing professional teachers could increase the accident rate on the roads, according to the Diario de Noticias de Navarra.
“We cannot allow young people to drive non-adapted cars accompanied by people without training for teaching,” said Arantxa Bravo, spokesperson for the Gipuzkoa Association of Car Schools. He emphasizes that car schools, in addition to teaching how to use a vehicle, offer comprehensive training to learn how to cope with situations of risk and to remain calm under pressure. Jesús Iriarte, from the Provincial Association of Self-Schools of Navarra, emphasizes the importance of qualified teachers and points out that the prestige of the 8,000 existing self-schools in the Spanish State may be affected, “jeopardizing the employment of thousands of teachers”.
Montenegro questions the attitude that families can take towards this new model. “What family member is going to dare with a person who has no training on the street and no double command in the car?” he asks. On the other hand, Bravo adds that insurers can raise rates to cover these new risks, which can discourage families.
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To be honest, I don't know why I'm writing this. In today’s hostile environment, opinions of this kind are not well received. Perhaps LUZ will not publish this because it does not correspond to the opinions they have published so far (but if they have finally decided to publish... [+]
