The new driving test changes that have come into force and what it means for learners
New driving test changes in Britain come into force today (Monday, November 24).
Candidates will now have to spend longer on faster roads during tests.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is introducing new measures to better reflect the real driving conditions many drivers face after testing, especially on rural roads.
This follows a five-month trial of the changes carried out at 20 testing centers across England earlier this year.
Between 2019 and 2023, almost half (48 per cent) of crashes involving drivers aged 17 to 24 in which someone died or was seriously injured were on rural roads, according to a House of Commons Library briefing paper.
This rate is 42 percent for drivers outside this age range.
Roads Minister Simon Lightwood said: “We are doing everything we can to make our roads safer.
“By focusing on more testing on high-speed roads, we are tackling one of the biggest risks for young drivers, helping to reduce crashes and save lives.”
Amanda Lane, head of driver testing and driver training policy at DVSA, said: “High-speed roads, especially those in rural areas, are among the most dangerous for novice drivers.
“To keep all road users safe, it is crucial that the practical driving test assesses students on the skills required to drive in the real world.”
Other changes to the test include:
- What students need to do is to reduce the number of stops from four to three.
- Reducing the frequency of emergency stops from one in three tests to one in seven.
- Giving examiners the power to increase independent driving time, which may include following satellite navigation, traffic signs or both, to between 20 minutes and the full duration of the test.
The DVSA said the need to find lower speed areas to make stops during testing limited the distance and number of roads that could be covered.
It is hoped that reducing the number of stops will provide greater flexibility when planning test routes.
The changes will have no impact on the timing of tests or the number available, the agency added.
There is a huge backlog of driving tests, which the DVSA attributes to a rise in demand and people booking tests much earlier than before.
As of the end of October, the number of learner drivers in England booked for future testing was 642,000.
Nearly 182,000 tests were carried out last month, up 9 percent from 168,000 tests in October 2024.
Last week, Transportation Secretary Heidi Alexander announced that military driving examiners would be deployed to test civilians.
Other measures aimed at tackling the backlog include tackling the problem of people reselling tests for profit.
Only students, not instructors, will be able to book slots and can also only relocate tests to a center near the original booking.
