Failing to make effective observations at junctions and check mirrors properly when changing direction are the top two reasons people in the UK have flunked their car driving tests over the last three years. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said from January 2019 to December 2021, 363,908 serious or dangerous faults were recorded during the tests of hapless motorists, who failed to observe junctions correctly during their driving tests across Great Britain.
During the same period, 285,465 serious or dangerous faults were recorded against those who failed to check their mirrors properly before changing direction. The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request submitted to the DVSA by electric bike retailer Avaris eBikes , as part of the company’s research into safety and awareness on the roads.
The number of faults marked for each reason in 2020 and 2021 are lower than those recorded in 2019 - however this may be due to a slump in the number of driving tests taken during and post-pandemic. In 2021, 93,250 faults were recorded for failing to observe at junctions, compared with 79,698 in 2020, and 190,960 in 2019.
