New research has revealed that almost 1,500 crashes occurred during practical driving tests over the last four years.

It adds weight to claims that too many candidates are turning up for test before they are ready.

In some cases it seems that they could actually be a danger to other road users.

Testing times

In the four years from 2020 to 2023, almost 1,500 learners were involved in road traffic collisions whilst on test.

The RAC Foundation sent a Freedom of Information request to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

This asked for the number of road collisions that have occurred during driving tests annually between 2020 and 2023.

Subsequent data reveals that 1,488 crashes took place involving learners during practical tests over the four-year period.

Last year saw the most collisions during driving tests in a calendar year, with 538 incidents reported in total.

In 16% (85) of these crashes, at least one person sustained injuries.

Blame

Across the four-year spell, 247 crashes involved someone suffering injury in driving test crashes , which represents 17% of instances.

The DVSA’s figures do not proportion blame, so it is unknown how many of the 1,488 collisions were the fault of the person with the provisional licence.

However, the fact that less tests were taken during 2020-2021 due to the pandemic, means that the numbers could have been worse.

NUMBER OF CRASHES INVOLVING LEARNERS DURING DRIVING TESTS
Year Number of accidents Injuries sustained No injuries sustained
2023 538 85 453
2022 533 86 447
2021 307 63 244
2020 110 13 97
TOTAL 1,488 247 1,241
Source: RAC Foundation following an FOI to the DVSA 

Lockdown effect

2023 saw the most collisions during driving tests in any of the four calendar years, with 538 incidents reported in total.

In 16% (85) of these crashes, at least one person sustained injuries

The number practical tests sat by learners in the financial year 2020-21 fell to 436,044 due to lockdowns and driving test centres closing as a result of the spread of Covid-19.

This was a dramatic 72.7% decline on the 12 months prior, with 1,599,566 driving tests taken in 2019-20.

In a bid to clear the huge backlog of learners build up during the pandemic, the number of practical tests rose to 1,689,000 between March 2022 and 2023.

This represented an increase of 10% year-on-year and up around 6% on pre-Covid volumes.

Always learning

Steve Gooding, RAC Foundation’s director Steve Gooding said: ‘This is a stark and unwelcome reminder that life on the road can be unforgiving.

‘Of course, many of these crashes are likely to have been caused not by the candidate but those who have already passed a test and think that doing so has made them the perfect driver.

‘Whatever stage of our driving lives we are at, and whenever we are behind the wheel, we need to remember our responsibilities.

‘However, newly qualified young drivers are particularly vulnerable and disproportionately involved in crashes. International evidence shows a graduated licensing system could improve safety.

‘This might include a minimum learning period during which the novice gains vital experience and maturity.

‘As well as helping learners prepare for life after they get their licence it should improve driving test pass rates which sit at below half not just for first-time tests but also all retakes, and if pass rates rise then waiting times to take a test will drop.’

Graduating experience

For some, the figures adds to the argument for a graduated licensing scheme to be introduced in the UK.

However, this would not actually necessarily change the practical driving test process.

GDL generally follows on after the practical driving test, limiting the freedoms for a newly qualified driver.

These could include the number of passengers carried, the hours of the day driving and alcohol/blood levels.

It allows new drivers to pass through stages of posy test experience, gaining more privileges.

However, others call for a logbook pre-test training programme to ensure candidates already have extended experience behind the wheel, to include such things as winter driving, nigh-time driving, country roads and motorways, whilst still under professional supervision.

Signposts

Statistical evidence shows that the first 1,000 miles a young and inexperienced driver covers have the highest risk of being involved in a collision.

New Zealand is among the countries where a similar scheme is already used.

They introduced a three-stage GDL in 1987 for all new drivers aged 15 to 24 years.

Since the legislation came in, there’s been a 23% reduction in car collision injuries for 15 to 19-year-olds, and a 12% reduction for 20 to 24-year-olds in the country.

Edmund King OBE, AA president, said: ‘One of the major issues that needs to be addressed is the needless deaths of young drivers, their passengers and others caught up in these crashes.

‘Most people don’t realise, until it is too late, that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults ages five to 29 years according to the World Health Organisation.

‘We owe it to the next generation to introduce positive measures that will help give them healthy and prosperous lives.’

IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, said: ‘Evidence from around the world shows that graduated driver licensing saves lives and reduces injuries where it has been introduced.

‘In 2022, more than 300 people in Britain lost their lives following a collision involving a younger car driver and more than 4,500 suffered serious injuries.

‘These are appalling figures and the time has come to urgently take action to stop more needless deaths on our roads.’