The DVSA wants to make changes to driving tests aimed at making learners better prepared for when they take their test.
The Swansea-based Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency is proposing making people wait 28 working days before being able to book another driving test after failing. They currently have to wait ten working days.
They say the change would reduce the number of people attempting the test when they’re not ready, because they would know they would have to wait longer to be able to take it again if they failed.
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It would also mean people who fail have more time to take further training before taking the test again.
The proposal follows research that shows driving instructors have long waiting lists, due to the Covid pandemic, which means they might have restricted availability to provide extra training for learner drivers who fail the test, which could cause the learner drivers to take the test again with no further training. This could then lead to them failing the test again.
The change would only apply to car driving tests. The current rules would stay the same for:
- other types of driving tests, such as motorcycle tests, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and bus driving tests
- theory tests
- approved driving instructor (ADI) tests
In a statement on their website, the DVSA said: "We think making this change will reduce the number of people who attempt the test when they’re not ready. This is because they’ll be less likely to attempt the test if they know they have to wait longer to rebook after failing.
"With about half of all driving tests currently being failed, it suggests that many people take the test when they are not ready. This has been the case for a number of years".
The pass rate for car driving tests between April and September stood at 50.5%
But demand for driving tests has increased because fewer tests have taken place because of restrictions and other factors related to the pandemic, including learner drivers who are not yet ready to take their test hearing waiting times are high, prompting them to book earlier than they normally would. And the pass rate for driving tests, which for many years has seen less than half of people pass on their first attempt, meaning they’ll need to take at least one more test.
Other changes to the rules proposed by the DVSA include:
- Reduce the number of car driving test appointments that are wasted
- Collect more data about how well driving instructors prepare learner drivers
- Give learner drivers better information about driving instructors
- Update when and how the DVSA check someone’s eyesight at the start of the driving test
- Replace paper pass certificates with digital pass certificates
- For more information on the changes visit the DVSA website here.
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