# Testing...testing...



## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Drivers will be tested in CDMX next year
New drivers will be required to take driving school course

Mexico News Daily | Thursday, December 7, 2017
Getting a license to legally drive on the chaotic streets of Mexico City was long a matter of just showing up at a licensing office with the correct documents, signing some forms and paying a fee.

No evidence of actually being able to operate a motor vehicle or knowledge of road rules was required.

And although a new law that went into force last year changed that, the Mexico City government abolished the driving exams in September without offering any explanation. Now it says that a new, extended licensing scheme will go into effect early next year.

Starting in March, all new drivers will be required to take mandatory driver exams before licenses are issued, an official at the city’s Mobility Secretariat (Semovi) has confirmed.

Prior to sitting the exam, planning Undersecretary Laura Ballesteros explained, new drivers will also have to attend driving schools, which will assess their skills and determine whether someone has the practical ability to apply for a license.

“You take a course, they do your theoretical and practical evaluation . . . [then] they’ll give you a document and your certificate and you go to Semovi where they’ll ask for a copy of your identification, medical exam . . . [and] certification,” she explained.

Finally, applicants will need to pass an online exam before getting their license, a final step which Ballesteros described as “closing the circle” of “training, evaluation, certification and examination with the best international practices.”

The support of driving schools in the licensing process will significantly reduce the administrative burden and associated costs on the city government, Ballesteros explained, adding that because most of the process happens outside Semovi, the new system will also help to stop corruption.

People wishing to obtain a license will have the freedom to complete the process at the certified driving school of their choice.

“The schools are going to be fundamental, we’re going to go through an international certification process so that they help us to teach people [how to drive] . . . The test is coming back for first-time drivers, not just young people or adolescents but also for any adult that doesn’t have a license and wants to get one in Mexico City,” she said.

Thirty driving schools have already registered their intention to complete the accreditation process so they can participate in the training of new drivers. Basic driver training is expected to cost between 2,000 and 3,500 pesos (US $105 to $185), depending on the number of hours.

Ballesteros said that additional costs associated with getting a new license would not benefit government coffers but would be an investment in the personal training of new drivers, stressing that the return of exams was necessary because “a car at more than 50 kilometers per hour is a lethal weapon.”

However, a current online poll by the newspaper El Universal shows that there are mixed feelings about the government’s plan.

Fifty-five per cent of respondents agree with the measures because “many people don’t know how to drive.” But 26% said they were uncertain whether they supported it because people “will pay bribes to pass” while 18% opposed it because of the additional costs involved.

Source: El Universal (sp), Animal Político (Sp)


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

Actually, this explains a lot about how people drive there.... "You mean I have to prove I can drive to get a license?"


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Zorro2017 said:


> Actually, this explains a lot about how people drive there.... "You mean I have to prove I can drive to get a license?"


In Jalisco, you have to to take a 10 question computer test about driving rules, then drive around in a parking lot proving you can steer, know to stop at stops signs and can parallel park. That's it. Motorcycle license is the same except you don't have to parallel park.


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## surabi (Jan 1, 2017)

Can't tell you the number of times I have seen looks of abject terror on the faces of Mexican female drivers when they find themselves in a situation where they are going to have to back up. They have no idea which way to turn their wheels when driving in reverse.

Also common here is thinking the way to get out of being stuck in mud or sand, is to step on the gas as hard as you can, which usually results in digging themselves in up to the axles.

Braking while rounding a curve, instead of slowing down just before the curve, is another reason you see so many crosses on the side of those highway curves. 

Tailgating bad here, too. No one has any concept of how many meters are required to stop if you have to brake while going 80 kilometers an hour.

I wonder if these kinds of things will be taught in the driving schools, I kind of doubt it.


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## Zorro2017 (Jan 9, 2017)

It's best just to assume everyone is going to pull out in front of you or cut you off so you will be ready for it.


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## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

Zorro2017 said:


> Actually, this explains a lot about how people drive there.... "You mean I have to prove I can drive to get a license?"


I never took one. In Colima, and probably other states, just flash a valid NOB license and you're exempt from the written, driving and vision tests. They do demand proof of blood type, however, and indicate it on the DL in case you're in a wreck and have a gusher. Sort of disturbing to think about. I also am considering getting a motorcycle, after not riding for 30 years, to indulge a mid-life crisis. Motorcycle endorsement, no problem, just an extra fee. All together, 850 pesos, which IMO is quite hefty, given what local workers make. Might explain why in my town not many have a DL.


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## NCas (Sep 9, 2013)

I have my doubts about those driving schools as well people just seem to be doing their own thing on the road. Rarely I see any one use their turn signals for lane changes. Merging to the freeway is also a huge issue as nearly all virtually stop when getting on a freeway. I've seen so many potential accidents that I decided to get a dash cam so that I can protect myself from some of the bad drivers (liability wise).


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Zorro2017 said:


> It's best just to assume everyone is going to pull out in front of you or cut you off so you will be ready for it.


Mexico is a great place to practice defensive driving skills!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

perropedorro said:


> I never took one. In Colima, and probably other states, just flash a valid NOB license and you're exempt from the written, driving and vision tests. They do demand proof of blood type, however, and indicate it on the DL in case you're in a wreck and have a gusher. Sort of disturbing to think about. I also am considering getting a motorcycle, after not riding for 30 years, to indulge a mid-life crisis. Motorcycle endorsement, no problem, just an extra fee. All together, 850 pesos, which IMO is quite hefty, given what local workers make. Might explain why in my town not many have a DL.


In Jalisco, you need a separate license for a motorcycle.


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