[Ammi]

New changes to driving tests will come into force from Tuesday as the DVSA have launched a new trial to make tests more realistic.

The DVSA are trialing a three month change to the driving test with three major updates across 20 driving test centres. These centres will include: Avonmouth, Bishopbriggs, Cambridge, Oxford and Portsmouth.

They will be reducing the number of stops carried out on a driving test from two to one, in order to allow more of the test to be spent on higher speed roads, including rural roads where possible.

The DVSA will also change the frequency of emergency stops from one in three driving tests to one in seven, an element of the test which has not been reviewed since before the fitting of Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) became mandatory on new cars in 2004.

There will also be more flexibility to increase the time of independent driving on the sat nav from 20 minutes to the full duration of the test, as the use of the navigation technology becomes more popular.

Up to four driving examiners at each of the test centres will take part, using new routes in rotation with current established ones that will include the changes being tested in the trial.

A DVSA spokesperson said: “DVSA is committed to improving road safety. We continually keep our driving tests under review to make sure they present a rigorous, realistic test of using Britain’s roads safely.

“Today (6 May 2025) we are beginning a 3-month trial at 20 driving test centres to increase the amount of time test candidates spend on higher speed roads, including rural roads, where available, during a driving test.

“High speed roads, including rural roads, are some of the most dangerous for novice drivers. We need to ensure that the driving test continues to test the skills needed to drive safely and replicate conditions new drivers will face in the real world to keep improving road safety.”

These changes come as 48 per cent of killed or seriously injured casualties among young car driver collisions occur on rural roads, compared to 42 per cent for other aged car driver collisions.

On top of this, young male car drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers 25 or over.

The latest test changes come a month after the Department for Transport (DfT)made changes to the driving test rules after the DVSA saw record high waiting times to book exams.

It is now only possible to make changes up to 10 working days before a booked test slot, compared with three working days previously.

DfT officials hope this will incentivise learners to wait until they are ready to pass before they book a test, and encourage people to pull out of tests sooner, meaning there is more chance their spot can be taken by someone else.

There is also a campaign to recruit and train 450 new driving examiners.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/driving-te...150722388.html

[Cal.]

Still trying to pass my driving test. The wait times for a test are abysmal. If you wanted to book a test today you would likely be receiving a date in October to take it. They need to make the job of an examiner more appealing and hire a **** ton of examiners to wade through the back log.

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Cal.

Still trying to pass my driving test. The wait times for a test are abysmal. If you wanted to book a test today you would likely be receiving a date in October to take it. They need to make the job of an examiner more appealing and hire a **** ton of examiners to wade through the back log.

….ahhhh, you will pass it, Cal…it’s easy to get inside our heads with these things and the very anxiety/fear of making errors is then the thing that has us making them…

[Quantum Boy]

I have a strong suspicion that the reason "novice drivers" are more at risk on rural roads isn't entirely because they're "difficult" to drive (it's some of the easiest technical driving)... ... it's because as soon as they pass their test they start driving them too fast.

I don't know how these changes will remedy that, really. It'll prove they can drive the roads fine at the speed limit, which isn't hard, and then they'll pass their test and ... drive too fast. I guess more experience of going into corners at speed but, again, the issue will be too much speed and understeering, really common "early driver" crash type.