Consultation outcome
Improving the car driving test
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Read the full outcome
Detail of outcome
We received 3,953 responses to the consultation.
The government has decided to introduce the proposed changes to the driving test from 4 December 2017.
Original consultation
Consultation description
This consultation seeks views on changes to improve the car driving test in Great Britain.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency wants to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain鈥檚 roads by making sure newly-qualified drivers are better prepared for driving on modern roads.
To do this, the driving test needs to better assess the candidate鈥檚 ability to drive independently in modern driving conditions. The changes are to:
- increase the 鈥榠ndependent driving鈥� part of the test from 10 to 20 minutes
- ask candidates to follow directions from a sat nav during the 鈥榠ndependent driving鈥� part
- replace the 鈥榬everse around a corner鈥� and 鈥榯urn in the road鈥� manoeuvres with more real-life scenarios, for example, driving into and reversing out of a parking bay
- ask 1 of the 2 vehicle safety questions (known as the 鈥榮how me, tell me鈥� questions) while the candidate is driving, for example, asking them to use the rear heated screen
More information
Documents
Updates to this page
Published 14 July 2016
Last updated 15 April 2017
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Added the response to consultation report and outcome.
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First published.