Learner drivers have been issued a warning as pass rates fall.
According to research from DVSA, the pass rate has dropped to 47.1 per cent between January and March 2022, from 48.1 per cent in the previous quarter.
In their research, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) found that the driving examiner had to physically intervene in one in five failed tests while one in ten who failed their tests said it was due to being nervous.
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Now, the Department of Transport is urging learner drivers to be 'test-ready' when they sit their test. the DVSA has recently launched the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign at www.gov.uk/ready-to-pass in a bid to improve pass rates, which will help to reduce the waiting times for tests.
The campaign gives learner drivers advice on:
- Finding an approved driving instructor
- Monitoring and checking progress of their driving lessons and private practice
- When to take a mock test
- How to manage test-day nerves - 1 in 10 learners who fail their driving test say the main reason they failed was because they were too nervous
Learner drivers can also see a checklist of all the things they should consider when they and their driving instructor agree they’re ready to take the test. The DVSA are also encouraging learners to move their test if they do not feel ready.
They can do this free of charge up to three full working days before their test.
Car driving tests were failed 786,400 times between April 2021 and March 2022. According to the research, driving examiners had to physically intervene in 168,583 tests during that time to avoid a dangerous incident. This would include taking hold of the wheel or brake in one in five failed tests.
As a result of the pandemic, there was a backlog of driving tests and a drop in driving instructors. Since April 2021, DVSA has created about 428,000 more test appointments than are normally available by taking such actions including, recruiting new driving examiners and carrying out overtime.
Loveday Ryder, DVSA Chief Executive, said: "We took swift action to tackle the impact of the pandemic and ensure as many people as possible could take their driving test. I’m glad to see the action we took – along with the hard work of driving instructors and our driving examiners – is working, and more test slots are available for learner drivers.
"However, with less than half of learners passing, I’d urge them to use our Ready to Pass? checklist to make sure they’re ready – and delay their test if they’re not. This will help make more tests available and prevent people having to pay to re-test."
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