A Brit’s perspective
By Luca Wolfe Murray
Starting the Process
In the UK, learning to drive is easy. Apply for a “provisional license” online, and once it arrives, you can start driving with your parents or anyone over 21 who’s held a full license for three years. No classroom. No medical exam. Dangerously optimistic? Maybe.
In Romania, the system is rigid: 30 hours of paid driving school are mandatory. No driving with mum or an uncle in the countryside. Just a registered instructor and a state-approved car. You also need to pass a medical exam that includes physical and psychiatric tests. On paper, it sounds thorough. In reality, it’s a farce. There are some wider lessons there.
The first step in Romania is this medical exam. You go to an approved clinic, where they run through seven disciplines before you’re allowed on the road: internal medicine, pulmonary, musculoskeletal (orthopedics), neurology, psychiatry, ENT, and ophthalmology.
In my experience, we were all shuffled through different exam rooms where doctors barely looked up from their phones. Some doctors didn’t even say a word, they just signed the paper that deemed me to be healthy. I asked the muskulo-skeletal (orthopedic) doctor why he didn’t test me or even ask anything, he said—”well, you look healthy to me”.
The psychologist was only slightly more hands-on. She asked “ever felt life wasn’t worth living?”, “ever been depressed?”, “had anxiety?”, “do you smoke or drink?” I answered “no” to everything, even things that weren’t true. It felt like they were pretending to test us and we had to play along. It was good enough for her.
The Theory Test
In the UK you can take the theory test at any time. Some people choose to drive beforehand, and some choose to take the theory test before getting behind the wheel. The multiple-choice questions are mostly straightforward: “When should you signal before turning?” The answer? “In good time.” It’s all about using your judgment, driving safely and legally.
Romania’s theory test is a trap. It’s based on obscure facts about vehicle mechanics, minute laws, and arbitrary distances. You must, for example, “signal 50 meters before changing lanes.” No exceptions. Get one detail wrong and you can fail.
Driving Lessons: Calm vs. Chaos
In the UK, my instructor would calmly explain my mistakes after I made them. He never shouted. If I was confused, he explained again. He tried to understand why I did things the way I did so he could help me improve.
In Romania the experience felt closer to boot camp. My instructor never explained anything. When I asked “why,” the answer was always “Do as I say.”
In Romania, the first time I touched the brake I hit it a bit hard. “Are you trying to throw me through the windshield?” he shouted.
On my first ever drive I hesitated to merge onto a busy road. “Why don’t you go? We’ll be here for a thousand years!”
In the UK my driving instructor said “don’t merge with traffic unless you have an opportunity you feel comfortable taking” and encouraged me not to worry about the cars behind me.
In Romania my instructor hit the gas with his own pedals and launched us into traffic. “Steer! Steer!” he yelled.
In the UK, I was informed that I don’t need to hold the wheel at 10-to-2 (oclock), as long as I keep good control.
In Romania my instructor told me I grab the gear stick “like a homosexual” and that I should “grab it like a man.”
The car had dual controls, but I was never told when he’d take over—so sometimes we were both driving at once. I didn’t feel like I was learning. I felt like I was surviving.
The Driving Test
In the UK there is a big problem at the moment: it’s nearly impossible to book your driving test. Slots are taken for up to a year and getting any booking takes weeks. There are only 1800 driving examiners in the entire country.
In Romania, your test is done with a police officer. These officers are trained under anti-corruption rules—introduced because many people were bribing their way to licences. Now, a police officer conducts the test, with a witness in the back seat. Tests are recorded so you can contest them if you fail.
The Culture
UK instructors are trained to teach. They’re patient. They know you’re nervous, and they adapt. Mistakes are part of the process.
In Romania, mistakes are punished. My instructor treated every error like a personal insult. He seemed more invested in being respected than being understood.
When I questioned why I had to stop at a “Give Way” sign even when it was safe to continue, he cut me off:“Just do as I say! God, I’ve never had a student talk back like this.”
When I asked about something small, like how to grip the wheel or check the mirrors, he made me feel like an idiot. He’d say things like “Why don’t you know this? Have you not memorized the highway code?”
But Which One Actually Works?
Romania’s system is stricter on paper. But in practice? It’s riddled with cheating, corner-cutting, and intimidation.
I realised the issue runs deeper than just bureaucracy or corruption—it’s cultural. In Romania, authority figures don’t expect questions. They expect obedience. Mistakes are treated as personal failings, not learning opportunities.
The UK is slower and less prescriptive. But it encourages real understanding. You’re taught how to think on the road, not just how to follow rigid rules.
The UK has 25 road deaths annually per million inhabitants. That puts it alongside Denmark and Norway as the safest European countries to drive in. Romania ranks worst in Europe: 82 deaths per million. A primary school friend of mine is unfortunately one of these statistics.
If we want to improve the safety of our roads we shouldn’t just look at changing laws and speed limits, we should look at our learning culture. We want to encourage people to think critically and act with autonomy. Not just follow laws.
I believe we should look at moving away from Soviet-style “hard-ass” teaching methods which only encourage obedience.
Luca Wolfe Murray is a 22-year-old traveler and aspiring entrepreneur. He spent the last two years traveling around Asia and Europe, including volunteer stints in Bangladesh and frontline Ukraine, and is working towards becoming a content creator who might positively impact the world.
This article was submitted to the Ratiu Forum-LSE IDEAS Journalism Mentorship 2025 competition.
