Annual Driving Test
The best way to make the road transport of goods safer is to ask drivers to take a driving test each year.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Many contend that the most optimal way to increase the safety of goods transportation boils down to requiring drivers to sit an annual driving test. In my opinion, though this measure is effective to a certain degree, government regulations represent a far superior, if not, an ultimate solution to making the transport of goods safer.
Advocates of mandating annual driver’s license tests cite the continuously updated knowledge. As countries’ transport infrastructure has constantly been upgraded, the knowledge concerning driving in the past can be radically different from recently imposed road regulations. If all drivers are required to sit a driver’s license test yearly, they will likely have to frequently revise and update their expertise on both theoretical and practical aspects of driving. However, the cost of taking a driving test each year can be substantial in most parts of the world, and it would be fundamentally unethical to assume that all drivers have to cover the incurred costs without government subsidies.
On the other hand, I would argue that the best way to make the transport of goods safer on roads is through government intervention. Firstly, policymakers can institute more drastic measures to ensure the safety of all road users. These include heavy penalties for traffic violations ranging from road raging and running red lights to driving under the influence and overspeeding. These policies can act as an effective deterrent for not just truck drivers but all motorists in general. The second measure is to alter the commuting time for specific vehicles. To that end, governments can institute rules that only allow large trucks and lorries carrying bulk materials to commute on inner-city roads or highways after a certain time of the day, such as 9 pm. This reform can therefore contribute to reduced traffic and, by extension, safer roads with fewer accidents.
In conclusion, despite the ostensible benefits of taking an annual driving test in terms of renewed knowledge, I believe that government initiatives are the better approach to making the transport of goods safer. The average person having to regularly sit driving tests due to corporate reasons should also receive a degree of government subsidies for improved road safety.
Essay Breakdown
Structure
Introduction
[1] Many contend that the most optimal way to increase the safety of goods transportation boils down to requiring drivers to sit an annual driving test. [2] In my opinion, though this measure is [2.1] effective to a certain degree, [2.2] government regulations represent a far superior, if not, an ultimate solution to making the transport of goods safer.
1. Paraphrase the topic – the need for drivers annually taking a driving test
2. Write a clear opinion to state personal viewpoints and signpost what will be discussed in the essay
2.1 The positive prospect of drivers sitting an annual driving test
2.2 The viewpoint I prefer – government regulations
Body
Paragraph 1
[1] Advocates of mandating annual driver’s license tests cite the continuously updated knowledge. [2] As countries’ transport infrastructure has constantly been upgraded, the knowledge concerning driving in the past can be radically different from recently imposed road regulations. [3] If all drivers are required to sit a driver’s license test yearly, they will likely have to frequently revise and update their expertise on both theoretical and practical aspects of driving. [4] However, the cost of taking a driving test each year can be substantial in most parts of the world, and it would be fundamentally unethical to assume that all drivers have to cover the incurred costs without government subsidies.
1. A topic sentence showing the main idea – the continuously updated knowledge
2. An explanation illustrating the need of updating knowledge about driving
3. Use a hypothetical expression to express the benefits of sitting an annual driver’s license test
4. [Counter-argument] Add a counterpoint to negate the main idea (the need of taking a driving license) and emphasize government subsidies.
Paragraph 2
[1] On the other hand, I would argue that the best way to make the transport of goods safer on roads is through government intervention. [2] Firstly, policymakers can institute more drastic measures to ensure the safety of all road users. [3] These include heavy penalties for traffic violations ranging from road raging and running red lights to driving under the influence and overspeeding. [4] These policies can act as an effective deterrent for not just truck drivers but all motorists in general. [5] The second measure is to alter the commuting time for specific vehicles. [6] To that end, governments can institute rules that only allow large trucks and lorries carrying bulk materials to commute on inner-city roads or highways after a certain time of the day, such as 9 pm. [7] This reform can therefore contribute to reduced traffic and, by extension, safer roads with fewer accidents.
1. A topic sentence expressing the main idea – government intervention
2. First supporting idea – governments’ more drastic measures
3. Support the previous idea by giving examples
4. Develop the examples with further details
5. Second supporting idea – alterations to the commuting time for certain means of transport
6. Use a suggestion as an example
7. Show the benefits that the idea in the previous example can bring about
Conclusion
[1] In conclusion, despite the ostensible benefits of taking an annual driving test in terms of renewed knowledge, I believe that government initiatives are the better approach to making the transport of goods safer. [2] The average person having to regularly sit driving tests due to corporate reasons should also receive a degree of government subsidies for improved road safety.
1. Restate my opinion – the merits of taking a driving test every year are eclipsed by governments initiatives
2. Extend the viewpoint by stating a final thought
Vocabulary
Many contend that the most optimal way to increase the safety of goods transportation boils down to requiring drivers to sit an annual driving test. In my opinion, though this measure is effective to a certain degree, government regulations represent a far superior, if not, an ultimate solution to making the transport of goods safer.
Advocates of mandating annual driver’s license tests cite the continuously updated knowledge. As countries’ transport infrastructure has constantly been upgraded, the knowledge concerning driving in the past can be radically different from recently imposed road regulations. If all drivers are required to sit a driver’s license test yearly, they will likely have to frequently revise and update their expertise on both theoretical and practical aspects of driving. However, the cost of taking a driving test each year can be substantial in most parts of the world, and it would be fundamentally unethical to assume that all drivers have to cover the incurred costs without government subsidies.
On the other hand, I would argue that the best way to make the transport of goods safer on roads is through government intervention. Firstly, policymakers can institute more drastic measures to ensure the safety of all road users. These include heavy penalties for traffic violations ranging from road raging and running red lights to driving under the influence and overspeeding. These policies can act as an effective deterrent for not just truck drivers but all motorists in general. The second measure is to alter the commuting time for specific vehicles. To that end, governments can institute rules that only allow large trucks and lorries carrying bulk materials to commute on inner-city roads or highways after a certain time of the day, such as 9 pm. This reform can therefore contribute to reduced traffic and, by extension, safer roads with fewer accidents.
In conclusion, despite the ostensible benefits of taking an annual driving test in terms of renewed knowledge, I believe that government initiatives are the better approach to making the transport of goods safer. The average person having to regularly sit driving tests due to corporate reasons should also receive a degree of government subsidies for improved road safety.
Vocabulary Highlight
- boil down to (phrasal verb): If a situation or problem boils down to something, that is the main reason for it
- mandate (v): to order somebody to behave, do something, or vote in a particular way
- radically (adv): in a way that relates to the most basic and important parts of something; in a complete and detailed way
- substantial (adj): large in amount, value, or importance
- unethical (adj): not morally acceptable
- incurred: the passive form of incur(v): if you incur something unpleasant, you are in a situation in which you have to deal with it
- government subsidies: government funding/ state subsidies/ state funding: financial grants extended by the government to private institutions or other public entities, in order to stimulate economic activity or promote activities that are in the public good
- government intervention: taxes, subsidies, price controls, regulations, minimum wage legislation, and government bailouts are all examples of different kinds of government intervention
- institute (v): to introduce a system, policy
- act as an (effective) deterrent: act as a number of things that deter people from doing something
- to that end (prepositional phrase): for that reason, with that goal, intending to produce that result
- ostensible (adj): seeming or stated to be real or true
Reading
Further reading about this topic can be found here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-test-changes-plans-revealed-to-improve-road-safety
Listening
Further listening about this topic can be found here:
