Research and analysis

Driving test changes in 2017: impact summary

Updated 19 July 2019

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

1. Introduction

This report summarises research that was done to monitor the impact that changes to the driving test had on learner drivers.

It focuses on learner drivers’ experience of:

• driving on high-speed roads (except motorways)
• following directions from a sat nav
• driving independently

Background

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) changed the way the driving test works on Monday 4 December 2017. The changes applied to England, Scotland and Wales.

The changes were designed to make sure new drivers have the skills they need to help them through a lifetime of safe driving.

The 4 main changes were:

• the independent driving part of the test was increased from 10 to 20 minutes
• candidates in 4 out of 5 driving tests were asked to follow directions from a sat nav during the independent driving part
• the 3 possible reversing manoeuvres were changed
• the driving examiner asking a ‘show me’ question (where you show how you’d carry out a safety task) while the candidate is driving, rather than at the start of the test

Why the changes were made

These changes were made because:

• most fatal collisions happen on high-speed roads (not including motorways) - changing the format of the test allowed more of these types of roads to be included in driving test routes
• more car drivers now have a sat nav - DVSA wants new drivers to be trained to use them safely
• research has shown that new drivers find independent driving training valuable - they can relate it to driving once they’ve passed their test

Find out more about the changes

2. Summary of findings

Six months after passing the new-style driving test, 81.2% of new drivers felt the test had prepared them for driving on Great Britain’s roads.

81.2% felt the test prepared them for driving on Great Britain’s roads

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Drivers who took the new-style test had spent more time practising on country roads (44.2% did at least 4 hours) compared to people who took the old-style test (37.1% did at least 4 hours).

44.2% practised for 4 hours or more on country roads

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Drivers who took the new-style test had spent more time practising on high-speed dual carriageways (50.1% did at least 4 hours) compared to people who took the old-style test (46.6% did at least 4 hours).

50.1% practised for 4 hours or more on high-speed dual carriageways

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After passing their driving test, most drivers have used sat nav while driving to some extent.

86.3% use a sat nav at least some of the time

3. How the research was done

We sent online surveys to people who had taken the new-style driving test from 11 December 2017 to 17 February 2018.

The first survey was sent to them 2 weeks after their test, regardless of whether they passed or failed.

The second survey was sent to the same people 6 months later, but only if they’d passed their test and said that wanted to take part in further research.

Survey	Number of surveys sent	Number of surveys filled in	Response rate
First survey (2 weeks after the test)	227,511	17,016	7.5%
Second survey (6 months after the test)	6,800	2,289	33.7%

We used a unique identifier (a 6-digit number) to track responses and changes through the 2 surveys while keeping the respondents anonymous.

Where possible, we’ve compared responses in this research with the data collected in the original trial of the changes held in 2015 and 2016. We’ve compared the answers with those who took the old-style driving test in the trial.

4. Driving on high-speed roads

We looked at learner drivers’ experience of driving on:

• country roads
• high-speed dual carriageways

4.1 Country roads

Drivers who took the new-style test were asked how much time they’d spent practising driving on country roads.

44.2% spent 4 hours or more practising on country roads

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	15.1%	25.6%	22.0%	16.4%	20.7%	100%
After the changes	14.1%	20.7%	21.1%	21.1%	23.1%	100%

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	96	162	140	104	131	633
After the changes	1,238	1,813	1,850	1,851	2,018	8,770

Compared to people who took the old-style test, the data shows a slight increase in the percentage of learner drivers spending 4 hours or more practising on country roads with an approved driving instructor (ADI).

44.2% (3,869) of those who took the new-style test said they spent 4 hours or more practising on country roads, compared to 37.1% (234) who took the old-style test.

34.8% (3,057) of those who took the new-style test said they spent less than 2 hours practising on country roads, compared to 40.7% (258) who took the old-style test.

Access to country roads varies around Great Britain, so the answers to this question could have been affected by the area the driver learned in.

Perceived level of improvement needed

Study	A lot of improvement	Some improvement	No improvement	Total
Before the changes	4.2%	31.8%	64.0%	100%
After the changes	3.6%	31.9%	64.5%	100%

Study	A lot of improvement	Some improvement	No improvement	Total
Before the changes	88	673	1,353	2,114
After the changes	76	679	1,372	2,127

The level of perceived improvement needed for driving on country roads has stayed roughly the same between the 2 studies.

4.2 High-speed dual carriageways

Drivers who took the new-style test were asked how much time they’d spent practising driving on high-speed dual carriageways.

50.1% spent 4 hours or more practising on high-speed dual carriageways

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	3.0%	25.0%	25.6%	25.8%	20.8%	100%
After the changes	3.6%	20.0%	26.2%	24.9%	25.2%	100%

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	19	158	162	163	131	633
After the changes	317	1,759	2,306	2,196	2,217	8,795

Compared to people who took the old-style test, the data shows an increase in the percentage of learner drivers spending 4 hours or more practising on high-speed dual carriageways with an ADI.

50.1% (3,869) of those who took the new-style test said they spent 4 hours or more practising on high-speed dual carriageways, compared to 46.6% (294) who took the old-style test.

23.6% (2,076) of those who took the new-style test said they spent less than 2 hours practising on high-speed dual carriageways, compared to 28% (177) who took the old-style test.

However, the data shows that learner drivers who took the new-style test were also slightly more likely to have never practised on a high-speed dual carriageway with an ADI, compared to those who took the old-style test.

Access to high-speed dual carriageways roads varies around Great Britain, so the answers to this question could have been affected by the area the driver learned in.

Perceived level of improvement needed

Study	A lot of improvement	Some improvement	No improvement	Total
Before the changes	5.7%	30.9%	63.4%	100%
After the changes	0.5%	29.9%	69.6%	100%

Study	A lot of improvement	Some improvement	No improvement	Total
Before the changes	122	654	1,338	2,114
After the changes	11	635	1,481	2,127

The level of perceived improvement needed for driving on high-speed dual carriageways has changed between the 2 studies.

5.7% (122) of those who took the old-style test felt they needed a lot of improvement, compared to 0.5% (11) of those who took the new-style test.

5. Following directions from a sat nav

Drivers who took the new-style test were asked how much time they’d spent practising driving while following directions from a sat nav.

23.1% spent 4 hours or more following directions from a sat nav

Hours of practice	Percentage
Never	10.4%
Less than 2 hours	43.0%
2 to 4 hours	23.5%
4 to 8 hours	13.0%
More than 8 hours	10.1%

Hours of practice	Number
Never	1,763
Less than 2 hours	7,287
2 to 4 hours	3,983
4 to 8 hours	2,209
More than 8 hours	1,701

These figures include all practice that drivers had with both an ADI and friends and family.

5.1 Practice with ADI

We want to directly compare results with the original trial (where learners only practised with an ADI).

So, the data for the new-style test in this chart and table is for those who only practised with an ADI. It does not include people who also practised with friends and family.

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	94.6%	3.0%	0.8%	0.3%	1.3%	100%
After the changes	9.3%	42.3%	24.6%	14.2%	9.6%	100%

Study	Never	Less than 2 hours	2 to 4 hours	4 to 8 hours	More than 8 hours	Total
Before the changes	599	19	5	2	8	633
After the changes	819	3,716	2,163	1,247	846	8,791

There has been a large increase in the time drivers spend following directions from a sat nav during their learning.

Before the changes to the test, only 1.6% (10) spent 4 hours or more doing this, compared to 23.8% (2,093) of those who took the new-style test.

5.2 How often you use a sat nav

We asked the new drivers how often they use a sat nav (including a navigation app on their mobile phone) while driving.

86.3% use a sat nav at least some of the time

How often you use sat nav	Percentage
Never	13.7%
Sometimes	54.5%
About half of the time	15.3%
Most of the time	12.8%
Every time I drive	3.6%

How often you use sat nav	Number
Never	303
Sometimes	1,203
About half of the time	337
Most of the time	283
Every time I drive	80

5.3 Confidence using a sat nav

We asked drivers in the second survey how confident they were in driving safely while following instructions from a sat nav.

86.2% were confident that they could drive safely while following directions from a sat nav

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	48.3%
Confident	37.9%
Neutral	11.1%
Not confident	2.1%
Not at all confident	0.6%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	1,067
Confident	836
Neutral	244
Not confident	47
Not at all confident	13
Total	2,207

86.2% (1903) said they were either confident or very confident that they could drive safely while following directions from a sat nav. Only 0.6% (13) said they were not at all confident.

6. Independent driving

We asked drivers in the second survey if they felt that the test prepared them well for driving on Great Britain’s roads. At this point, they had at least 6 months experience of driving independently.

81.2% felt the test prepared them for driving on Great Britain’s roads

Response	Percentage
Yes	81.2%
No	18.8%

Response	Number
Yes	1,852
No	428

6.1 Why drivers felt the test had or had not prepared them

We asked drivers to tell us more about why they had answered the way they did.

People who felt it had prepared them

Those who answered ‘yes’ said:

• the test and their learning for the test were reflective of real-life driving
• there was a good range of road types included in the test and their learning
• they feel comfortable and confident driving on their own
• they would have liked training and or lessons on motorways

People who felt it had not prepared them

Those who answered ‘no’ said:

• motorway driving lessons would have helped them to feel much more prepared for driving on their own - but they praise the change in the law that has allowed motorway driving lessons since they passed their test
• that while the test prepared them well, they struggle with the different way that experienced drivers treat them now they do not have L plates and an accompanying ADI
• they felt that they were mainly taught to pass the test - they feel the bulk of their learning to drive was done after the test, and that the learning process and test cannot entirely prepare them for driving on their own

6.2 Confidence that you’re a safe driver

In the second survey, we asked drivers how confident they were that they’re a safe driver.

90% were confident that they are a safe driver

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	42.4%
Confident	47.6%
Neutral	8.9%
Not confident	1.0%
Not at all confident	0.1%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	936
Confident	1,050
Neutral	197
Not confident	22
Not at all confident	2
Total	2,207

90% (1,986) answered that they are either confident or very confident that they are a safe driver. This was the highest scoring statement for confidence levels.

This indicates that, after driving independently for 6 months, most drivers are confident that they are a safe driver.

6.3 Confidence that you’re a good driver

In the second survey, we asked drivers how confident they were that they’re a good driver.

79.1% were confident that they are a good driver

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	27.7%
Confident	51.4%
Neutral	17.7%
Not confident	2.7%
Not at all confident	0.5%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	611
Confident	1,136
Neutral	390
Not confident	60
Not at all confident	12
Total	2,209

79.1% (1,747) answered that they are either confident or very confident that they are a good driver.

This means that the drivers are less confident that they are a good driver than a safe driver.

6.4 Confidence that you’re a skilful driver

In the second survey, we asked drivers how confident they were that they’re a skilful driver.

60.9% were confident that they are a skilful driver

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	17.8%
Confident	43.1%
Neutral	32.4%
Not confident	5.7%
Not at all confident	1.0%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	394
Confident	953
Neutral	716
Not confident	127
Not at all confident	19
Total	2,209

60.9% (1,347) answered that they are either confident or very confident that they are a skilful driver.

They’re more likely to answer select the middle option for this than any of the other questions regarding their confidence.

Only 1% (19) answered that they are not at all confident that they are a skilful driver.

The word ‘skilful’ can mean different things to different people. It’s not always interpreted as a good thing when it comes to driving.

6.5 Confidence in your ability

In the second survey, we asked drivers how confident they were in their ability.

81.6% were confident in their ability

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	29.9%
Confident	51.7%
Neutral	15.6%
Not confident	2.3%
Not at all confident	0.5%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	658
Confident	1,136
Neutral	344
Not confident	51
Not at all confident	10
Total	2,199

81.6% (1,794) answered that they were very confident or confident in their ability. Only 0.5% (10) answered that they are not at all confident in their ability.

6.6 Confidence you will not be involved in an accident

In the second survey, we asked drivers how confident they were that they will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months.

75.1% were confident they will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months

Confidence	Percentage
Very confident	31.6%
Confident	43.5%
Neutral	19.9%
Not confident	3.5%
Not at all confident	1.5%

Confidence	Number
Very confident	695
Confident	957
Neutral	438
Not confident	78
Not at all confident	78
Total	2,202

75.1% (1,652) answered that they are either confident or very confident that they will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months. 1.5% (78) answered that they were not at all confident in this.

This could be due to them being aware that other drivers’ skills can be a factor in accidents. It was the only confidence question that was not solely reliant on the skills of the people taking the survey.

6.7 Summary of confidence levels

This chart and table summarise the responses to all of the confidence questions.

Drivers were most confident that they are a safe driver and show the least confidence that they will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months.

They seem to be the most unsure about being a skilful driver. This could be due to the idea or feelings the word ‘skilful’ invokes.

Confidence	Very confident	Confident	Neutral	Not confident	Not at all confident	Total
Good driver	27.7%	51.4%	17.7%	2.7%	0.5%	100%
Safe driver	42.4%	47.6%	8.9%	1.0%	0.1%	100%
Skilful driver	17.8%	43.1%	32.9%	5.7%	0.5%	100%
Ability	29.9%	51.7%	15.6%	2.3%	0.5%	100%
You will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months	31.6%	43.5%	19.9%	3.5%	1.5%	100%

Topic	Very confident	Confident	Neutral	Not confident	Not at all confident
Good driver	611	1,136	390	60	12
Safe driver	936	1,050	197	22	2
Skilful driver	394	953	716	127	19
Ability	658	1,136	344	51	10
Will not be involved in an accident in the next 12 months	695	957	438	78	34

7. What we’ll do next

We’ll continue analysing the data from this piece of research. We aim to publish a more detailed report by the end of March 2019.

We’ll also analyse data from driving test results when we have a full year’s worth of data available. At the time of publishing this summary, the official statistics only report up to 30 June 2018.

We’ll analyse the different types of faults (dangerous, serious or driving fault) being made during the different parts of the test. This will include the 3 reversing manoeuvres, and the ‘show me, tell me’ questions.

We’ll also identify any trends that ADIs might find useful to know.