Despite 99% of drivers claiming they’re knowledgeable about the rules of driving, 98% failed to correctly identify 15 of the most common road signs, Tesco Bank found as it put their knowledge to the test. Over half (55%) of drivers claimed they would perform easily if they had to take their driving theory test today, yet only 2% achieved a perfect score in the experiment, with 19% making at … [Read more...]
Under-17s better chance of passing driving test
A driving school is challenging whether 17 is the right age to learn to drive – even if that remains the age you’re allowed on the roads. Two thirds of driving instructors surveyed by Young Driver (69 per cent) admitted they felt youngsters learn better before they turn 17. The instructors are in a unique position to be able to compare groups, teaching both over 17s on the road and 10-17 year … [Read more...]
65,000 learners have penalty points before test
More than 65,000 learners have points on their licence even before passing their test. A staggering 10,639 learner drivers have 7-9 points on their provisional licence, while 1,803 have 10 or more. This means a total of 12,442 learners could have their licence cancelled immediately after passing the test, as provisional points are carried over to the full licence. If you get more than six … [Read more...]
New drivers lacking confidence
Research for Young Driver pre-17 driving questioned 1,000 UK drivers and found more than a third of newly qualified motorists actively avoid having to perform manoeuvres or tackle roads they aren’t experienced in. Parking was the area where new drivers lacked most confidence. One in three new drivers (36 per cent) admitted they went out of their way to avoid having to parallel … [Read more...]
Best pass or fail driving-test rates in Wales
Mid-Wales is the best place to try your driving test. But Wrexham is the worst, according to a breakdown of DVSA pass rates studied by Confused.com. What the statistics say about the quality of the driving instructors in the towns is not explained but to anyone taking a practical driving test it's one of the most nerve-wracking things a learner driver could experience. However, those taking … [Read more...]
Safely seeing is a matter of law for all drivers
Drivers and riders are being encouraged to take the ‘number plate test’ - a quick and easy way to check they meet the minimum eyesight requirements. By law, all drivers and riders must meet the minimum eyesight standards at all times and this includes being able to read a number plate from 20 metres. The campaign is reminding the public that they can easily check their eyesight by … [Read more...]
DVSA raking in money from failed driving tests
Many learner drivers fail their practical test first time around – making the on-line assessment a surprisingly lucrative system for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. Statistics show that over £68 million was paid by drivers that ultimately went on to fail their test during 2016/17. Over the course of 12 months, hundreds of thousands of motorists took their test, with a pass rate of … [Read more...]
Call for crackdown on poor lane-discipline
Confused.com says four in five drivers have been tailgated while a third admit to hogging the middle lane. Despite a proliferation of poor lane discipline it remains a notoriously difficult offence to monitor. “Careless driving” includes offences such as tailgating, middle-lane hogging, undertaking and driving too slowly. Yet only 2,012 drivers fell foul of “careless driving” spot fines in … [Read more...]
Learners’ ignorance of ‘phone law is worrying
Global pioneer of telematics-based car insurance insurethebox is asking whether learner drivers facing the new Driving Test launched on 4 December 2017 understand the rules for in-car mobile phone use. For the first time, the test now includes taking instructions from satnav. It found that nearly 1 in 5 (18.38%) of drivers admitted to using their phone for getting directions while driving – … [Read more...]
Little changes are big safety improvement
Road safety charity IAM RoadSmart says the new look driving test, which it helped to design and evaluate, will deliver ‘big safety benefits and save lives’ by including more real life situations and introducing new drivers to the latest technology. The new format was test driven by thousands of leaners before it final implementation on yesterday. Those who had taken the new test … [Read more...]
