PRESENTER: Jamey Tesler, Senior Fellow, MIT Mobility Initiative (Massachusetts, USA)
Join us for a thought-provoking webinar with Jamey Tesler, Senior Fellow of the MIT Mobility Initiative and former Registrar of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, as he explores whether traditional driver testing remains fit for purpose in a rapidly evolving mobility environment. Drawing on his recent MIT research briefing Rethinking the Driver's License Test, Jamey will examine the evidence behind current licensing practices and discuss how advances in vehicle technology, automation and road safety research may shape the future of driver assessment.
For more than a century, the practical driving test has been a cornerstone of driver licensing systems. Yet despite profound changes in vehicles, traffic environments and driver behaviour, many licensing authorities continue to rely on assessment methods that have remained largely unchanged. This webinar will challenge long-held assumptions about the role and effectiveness of the traditional practical driving test and explore whether it remains the best tool for preparing and assessing novice drivers.
Drawing on international research and policy developments, Jamey will examine the relationship between driver testing, road safety outcomes and driver competence. The session will consider how emerging challenges, including distracted driving, increasingly complex road environments and the growing presence of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), are changing the skills required of new drivers. As the driver's role evolves from active vehicle operator to supervisor of increasingly automated systems, licensing authorities face important questions about what should be taught, tested and assessed.
The webinar will also explore promising alternatives and innovations, including hazard perception testing, risk anticipation training, enhanced Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) systems, simulator-based learning, multi-stage licensing approaches, telematics-based assessment and emerging applications of artificial intelligence in driver testing. Participants will gain insight into how different jurisdictions are responding to technological change and how licensing frameworks may evolve in the years ahead.
FURTHER DETAILS OF INTEREST FOR PARTICIPANTS:
- Time: 28 January 2026, 3 pm CEST (@9am EST)
- Fee: This members-only event is free-of-charge
- Location: online
- Working language: English
- Registration: The deadline for registrations is 26 January 2026