Why do we need rules at all? Driving test 1905

Why do we need rules at all?

Rules are restrictive. People only ever call for them after accidents have happened.

The rules of the driving test in 1905

The first and most varied driving tests were issued in Switzerland from 1890… As a rule, a simple written declaration by the motorist himself that he was able to drive was sufficient to obtain a license. However, high accident figures caused driving examiners to reconsider their assumption that candidates could acquire the ability to drive correctly themselves. It was not until 1902 that the Swiss cantons undertook to standardize their laws in a concordat on automobile traffic, which was approved by the Federal Council in June 1904… The driving tests could not have been difficult: After all, in 1905, when the first driving schools offered “men’s driving courses” in Basel, the average driving test lasted no more than ten minutes. Those who passed the test were then celebrated in a pub.