Harder driving test could put pass rate into reverse

FEARS have been raised that the pass rate for new drivers could fall as a new tougher test is introduced today.

In the first major overhaul since the written theory exam was introduced in 1996, new drivers will now have to complete a more realistic assessment, designed to curb dangerous habits such as satnav “racing”.

New figures show that young people are more likely than older drivers to attempt to beat the suggested “arrival time” displayed on the GPS units, but this can encourage speeding and other dangerous driving, the AA has said.

The pass rate for the car practical test has been falling in recent months and between April and June this year it was 47 per cent, down 0.4 per cent from the same period in 2016.

Concerns have been raised that with the new elements to the test, along with an extended period of independent driving – doubled from 10 to 20 minutes – more people could fail.

A spokesman for the AA said the group would be watching the results carefully to monitor how the changes affected pass rates.

In the new test, rare manoeuvres such as reversing around a corner are being replaced by more common scenarios such as entering a parking bay.

Learners will also have to answer a vehicle safety question while driving, for example telling the examiner how they would wash the windscreen using the car’s controls and wipers.

Department for Transport figures show that younger drivers are up to seven times more likely to be killed or seriously injured on the roads compared with those aged over 25. It is believed that their lack of experience is an important factor.

Lesley Young, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s (DVSA) chief driving examiner, said: “The new test will help prepare new drivers for driving on modern roads and support a reduction in the number of young people killed or seriously injured.”

From next year, learners will be allowed to take motorway driving lessons with an approved instructor.

The modifications to the test, which came into force today, were welcomed by experts and road safety groups.

Edmund King, the AA president, said the new test “now reflects real-life driving” and predicted that people who pass it would have “more confidence when driving solo”.