Safer roads for the UK with tougher tests?

The UK’s driving test has been made far tougher in recent times, in a bid to boost safety. Some people take up to 21 attempts to pass their practical test, according to data from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The information covers every year between 2009 and 2018. In 2016, one driver passed at the 21st attempt in one year. Another driver took 19 attempts to pass in 2018. Meanwhile one learner failed 19 tests in 2009, 2015 and 2017. The car driving test pass rate was 45.8% for the 2018/
July 24, 2019 Read time: 1 min

The UK’s driving test has been made far tougher in recent times, in a bid to boost safety. Some people take up to 21 attempts to pass their practical test, according to data from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The information covers every year between 2009 and 2018.

In 2016, one driver passed at the 21st attempt in one year. Another driver took 19 attempts to pass in 2018. Meanwhile one learner failed 19 tests in 2009, 2015 and 2017.

The car driving test pass rate was 45.8% for the 2018/19 period. This was the lowest figure since 45.3% for the 2008/9 period. In all 18,922 learners passed the practical test with zero faults for the 2018/19 period. This was an improvement over 18,410 for the 2017/18 period.

Related Content

  • UK road death statistics figures show no reduction
    September 27, 2018
    IAM RoadSmart, the UK’s biggest independent road safety charity, said it is concerned by lack of progress in road deaths – and calls for a new focus on driver behaviour. Although cars are getting safer and there has been a step change in new road investment, careless human behaviour and increasing traffic levels are cancelling this out, according to the charity. The UK’s Department of Transport announced this week that there were 1,793 reported road deaths in 2017 - an increase of one on 2016. T
    Read More
  • Research shows fall in US motorcyclist deaths
    May 13, 2014
    New research shows a drop in motorcyclist deaths in the US. The figures compiled for the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) show a 7% drop in motorcyclist fatalities in the US in 2013, compared with data for the previous year. However, the GHSA cautions that poor weather in 2013 may have had an effect, reducing the total distance travelled by motorcyclists and therefore the numbers of crashes. Research shows 2013 to be only the second year since 1997 in which there has been a drop in motorcyclist d
    Read More
  • Research reveals UK drug driving risk
    August 13, 2013
    Research carried out on behalf of an insurance firm reveals a worryingly high level of drug use amongst the UK’s drivers. The study was carried out for the insurance company Confused.com and shows that up to 20% of British drivers admit to using drugs while at the wheel. This contrasts strongly with official police data for drivers caught under the influence of drugs in 2012. This information shows that only 1,132 people were caught drug driving in 2012, down by 12.5% from the 1,294 in 2011. The data reveal
    Read More
  • Belgium’s safer roads see casualty reduction
    September 21, 2018
    Belgium is benefiting from a much-needed gain in road safety. The country has had the worst record for road safety of any Western European nation for some years but now appears to be addressing the issue with positive results being achieved. Road deaths for the first six months of 2018 dropped by 14% to 191 compared with 221 for the same period in the previous year. The number of injuries arising from road crashes dropped 1.7% to 23,458 for the first six months of 2018, compared with 23,865 for the same
    Read More

Highlighted Content