Satnav driving steers learners away from taking test

A SATNAV addition to driving tests has seen the number of people getting behind the wheel and taking their exam drop 10 per cent, figures from the Department for Transport revealed.

In the three months after satnav driving was introduced, 428,000 practical car driving tests were conducted between January and March, compared with 478,000 in the same period last year. The Department for Transport said the fall “might be due to the introduction of the new driving test”.

A series of changes came into force in Britain on December 4, in the most significant shake-up of the test since the written theory exam was introduced in 1996.

They include following instructions from a satnav, a period of independent driving doubled to 20 minutes and a refreshed selection of manoeuvres deemed more realistic to modern driving, such as parallel parking rather than reversing round a corner.

Following the changes, the pass rate fell to a nine-year low of 45 per cent, down two percentage points on the first quarter of 2017.

Steve Gooding, the director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said: “The new driving test is about improving standards, so if these figures are the result of instructors taking a bit of extra time to ensure their pupils are ready for the exam, then that is good for both road safety and learners themselves.

“Taking and failing a test leads to more expense, and delays the point at which people can have the mobility they want and need.”

Mark Winn, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency’s chief driving examiner, said: “The changes to the test help new motorists to be better equipped for real-world driving on a wider variety of roads and traffic conditions.

“The pass rate shows candidates and instructors were well prepared for the changes. We expect candidates and instructors to become more familiar with the new test and we’ll continue to monitor the impact of the changes.”