Learner drivers may have to wait six months before taking test

Learner drivers in England and Wales could face a learning curve of up to six months before taking their practical test, the BBC has revealed.

The government will announce the measure, which will be subject to consultation, as part of its wider road safety strategy launched on Wednesday.

The change to driving laws aims to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads by 65% ​​over the next decade and 70% for children under 16.

Approximately one-fifth of deaths or serious injuries in crashes in 2024 were caused by a teenage car driver.

The government believes that a minimum period of time between the theory test and the practical test will help learner drivers improve their skills, including driving in different conditions.

The Ministry of Transport will consult for a minimum learning period of three or six months.

This will include formal lessons with a driving instructor, as well as any informal learning they may do with their parents or guardians.

Evidence from other countries shows that minimum learning periods can reduce crashes by up to 32%. Currently, learner drivers can take lessons from 17 and book a practical test as soon as they pass the theory test.

The majority of driving tests in Britain are taken by people under 25. In 2024-25, approximately 55% of testing was done by drivers aged 17-24.

Learner drivers are currently facing a problem. approximately six months waiting time They will still take the practice tests due to the backlog caused by the Covid pandemic. The backlog is expected to continue until the end of 2027.

The proposed changes could end teenagers passing tests days after they turn 17, meaning the youngest drivers would be at least 17-and-a-half years old.

There are noisy campaigns to introduce “graduated driving licences” (GDLs) in the UK. Different countries have different types of GDLs, such as not allowing newly qualified drivers to carry passengers or not allowing them to drive at night.

Proponents of GDLs include some parents of teenagers killed on the roads.

Sharron Huddleston began campaigning for GDLs to be introduced eight years ago after her daughter Caitlin died in an accident aged 18.

Sharron supports the recommended minimum learning time but said: “We also need post-test safeguards.”

Skye Mitchell, the driver who was also killed, had passed her test four months earlier.

Sharron believes Caitlin would “still be here” if newly licensed young drivers in the UK had been issued licenses banning them from carrying passengers their own age.

“All the girls [in the car] “He was 18 years old,” he said.

“This is the most powerful element of a graduated license that will save the lives of many young people.”

The AA welcomed the measures announced by the government but said the failure to implement GDLs was a “missed opportunity”.

Its chairman, Edmund King, told the BBC that “all the evidence from Australia, Canada and other countries” shows that limiting the number of passengers of the same age in a car for six months “will save lives”.

He said of the learning period: “That will help, but the question is: does it go far enough?”

The road safety strategy will also include proposals for a lower drink-driving limit in England and Wales to bring it in line with Scotland. An even lower limit will apply to novice drivers; This is already the case in Northern Ireland.

The BBC announced in October that further investigations were being carried out into the matter. headlight glare will be included in the strategy.

Alisa Fielder, 21, from Surrey, passed her test as a teenager but crashed a year ago while trying to overtake a lorry on the motorway. No one was injured but his car was written off.

“It took too long to check the blind spot and all the cars in front had stopped,” he said.

“If I had taken some more lessons then I would have known that it really couldn’t have lasted this long.”

He did not drive for a year after the accident. He has since undertaken an informal assessment with the charity IAM RoadSmart to boost his confidence and understand what he needs to work on.

“I wasn’t driving to the best standard and that’s why I crashed.”

Alisa said the process of becoming a better driver should continue after a person passes the test. “Maybe there are more lessons you need to learn from a professional.”

Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said young people made up just 6 per cent of all drivers but were involved in almost a quarter of fatal and serious collisions.

“Inexperience puts drivers, passengers and other road users at greater risk,” he said.

The proposed learning period is “about supporting young drivers to develop the confidence they need to stay safe and giving them more time to develop their skills and gain experience in different driving conditions”.