The latest driving test changes explained
The latest driving test changes explained
Changes to the driving test come into place on Monday (24 November), including requiring candidates to spend longer on faster roads.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it is making the change to better represent the conditions many motorists experience after passing their test, such as driving on rural roads.
Changes to the assessment, which also include fewer stops during the test, come after a trial earlier this year and are aimed at improving safety and help produce competent drivers.
According to a House of Commons Library briefing document, nearly half (48%) of crashes involving car drivers aged between 17 and 24 where someone was killed or seriously injured between 2019 and 2023 took place on rural roads, compared with 42% for drivers outside that age range.
The changes are also hoped to improve the flow of the driving test and the DVSA said they will have no impact on the timing of tests or the number available.
There is currently a major backlog of driving tests, which saw the Department for Transport announce that it had mobilised military driving examiners in a bid to reduce it.
Here are the changes being made to driving tests and why.
What changes are being introduced?
From 24 November, candidates taking their driving test in Britain will have to spend longer on faster roads.
They will make fewer stops during the test – three instead of four – and the frequency of emergency stops across tests will also be less, going from one in three to one in seven.
All of this means examiners have the power to “increase the length of independent driving”, “which can involve following a satnav, traffic signs, or both – to between 20 minutes and the full duration of the test”.
Why is the test being changed?
The changes come after a five-month trial conducted at 20 test centres across Britain earlier this year.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it meant the driving test would better represent the conditions many motorists experience after passing their test, such as driving on rural roads.
It said the need to find slower speed areas to perform stops during a test limits the distance and number of roads that can be covered, so decreasing them would mean greater flexibility when planning test routes.
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A government blog post said: “These changes were designed to improve the overall flow of the test and better reflect real-world driving conditions.
“By putting them into place and allowing for more meaningful route planning, examiners have been able to observe learner drivers in a more natural and realistic driving environment.”
It said: “Making the above adjustments has helped create test routes that venture into more high-speed and high-risk areas – where location allows – and has given learners the opportunity to face a broader range of driving scenarios. The extension of independent driving has also given learners more time to demonstrate their ability to follow directions independently, just like they would after passing their test.
“As well as this, by reducing the number of stops and emergency stop exercises, the test feels more like a genuine drive, helping learners stay focused and relaxed during what we know can, understandably, be a nerve-wracking experience.”
Amanda Lane, DVSA head of driver testing and driver training policy, said: “High speed roads, particularly those in rural areas, are among the most treacherous for novice drivers. To keep all road users safe, it’s crucial that the practical driving test assesses learners on the skills required to drive in the real world.”
How much of a test backlog is there?
There is a currently a major backlog of driving tests, which the DVSA attributes to an increase in demand and people booking tests much earlier than before.
The number of learner drivers in Britain with a future test booking as of the end of October was 642,000.
Some 182,000 tests were conducted in October – up 9% on 168,000 in October 2024.
The changes to tests are not expected to affect the number of tests available.
They come after Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that military driving examiners will be mobilised to test civilians in a bid to tackle the backlog, making up to 6,500 more tests available over the next year at locations with the highest demand.
Other measures aimed at reducing the waiting list include combating the issue of people reselling tests for profit.
Only learners – not instructors – will be able to book slots, and they will also only be able to move the location of tests to a centre near the original booking.
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