To the editor:
I am writing on behalf of my seventeen year old granddaughter. She has been driving for over a year now with her learners’ license. My daughter and I have been driving with her and she is taking driving lessons. I think she is a careful driver.
She recently took her driving test and failed. I spoke with the manager at ICBC to have the test results explained to me as to why she had not passed.
It seemed a bit odd to us at the time as it had to do with overextending her shoulder checks. The day prior to a second drivers test my granddaughter took a partial drivers test review course in which they explained to her exactly what ICBC would be testing and looking for.
He told her that he felt that she would do well and that he thought she was a good driver.
For her second attempt she was given the same examiner and failed for similar reasons as she had the first time.
This time my daughter spoke with the manager at ICBC to have the test explained to her.
When my daughter explained that the test results were similar to the last test and that her daughter had rectified her shoulder checks so that they were not as pronounced.
The manager stated that there must have been a misunderstanding after the first test regarding the shoulder checks.
So once again my granddaughter will take another drivers education course and hopefully will get a more compassionate examiner. I am angry, frustrated and sad that ICBC is so dismissive of the emotions and degrading of a child and family in this way. Who holds these driving examiners accountable?
I can only hope that other parents, especially those who do not have the resources to provide their child with a drivers education course, do not have to go through this ordeal.
Chris Wintle, Kelowna
