If learning to drive can be hard for anybody, passing a theoretical and practical driving test in a language that is not your mother tongue can be even tougher. Aware of this situation, the UK’s Driving Safety Agency (DSA) allows non-English speaker candidates to be accompanied by an interpreter during the tests. But everything seems to indicate that this advantage will be turned down soon as it has been proved that an interpreter has committed fraud against the agency.
Authorities from the DSA and staff from various driving schools have commented on the suspicious attitude of some interpreters during the driving tests. Some of them use lengthy sentences to translate simple instructions such us: turn right, turn left or stop at the next corner. And using lengthy sentences when it is not necessary may be a sign of the interpreter providing more information to the pupil, telling him how to drive or providing him with the correct answer for the theoretical exam.
Authorities from the DSA also question how safe it is for other drivers to have a fellow driver in the road that perhaps does not understand the road signs properly.
So far, one interpreter is under suspicion since her number of clients has significantly increased over a short period of time.
For more information about this test translation fraud please go to the BBC News.
