Reasons for failed category B practical test by gender in 2012 and total number of faults for passed tests 2010 to 2012
Published 16 August 2013
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This is Freedom of Information request IA/0006113.
1. Request 1
Please supply figures for the reasons given for failed car practical driving tests in the UK in 2012. What I am looking for is the reasons given by examiners for failing a candidate, for example failure to check mirrors or errors while reverse parking. Can you also break the information down by gender.
2. Response
The table shows the number of serious and dangerous faults incurred on car practical driving tests in 2012 in Great Britain, broken down by the reason they were given and gender.
| Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|
| Eyesight | 379 | 241 |
| Highway Code | 26 | 41 |
| Controlled stop - Promptness | 0 | 0 |
| Controlled stop - Control | 2,778 | 2,870 |
| Reverse left - Control | 13,635 | 34,466 |
| Reverse left - Observation | 10,793 | 13,257 |
| Reverse right - Control | 43 | 70 |
| Reverse right - Observation | 51 | 51 |
| Reverse park - Control | 18,557 | 40,792 |
| Reverse park - Observations | 12,744 | 16,039 |
| Turn in road - Control | 2,753 | 7,968 |
| Turn in road - Observations | 5,746 | 7,757 |
| Precautions | 482 | 1,006 |
| Control - accelerator | 264 | 422 |
| Control - clutch | 255 | 421 |
| Control - gears | 11,824 | 21,688 |
| Control - Footbrake | 2,178 | 3,984 |
| Control - parking brake | 2,317 | 3,922 |
| Control - steering | 26,243 | 44,638 |
| Move off - safely | 32,394 | 32,628 |
| Move off - control | 21,719 | 39,043 |
| Mirrors - signalling | 5,899 | 5,402 |
| Mirrors - change direction | 54,708 | 68,905 |
| Mirrors - change speed | 16,292 | 17,025 |
| Signals - necessary | 12,061 | 13,573 |
| Signals - correctly | 14,657 | 17,244 |
| Signals - timed | 3,242 | 3,472 |
| Response to signs - traffic signs | 22,020 | 24,570 |
| Response to signs - road markings | 21,709 | 26,156 |
| Response to signs - traffic lights | 30,666 | 35,654 |
| Response to signs - traffic controllers | 516 | 520 |
| Response to signs - other road users | 3,449 | 4,059 |
| Use of speed | 21,825 | 22,495 |
| Following distance | 4,623 | 5,299 |
| Maintain progress - speed | 19,481 | 21,876 |
| Maintain progress - undue hesitation | 16,515 | 22,698 |
| Junctions - approach speed | 8,330 | 12,806 |
| Junctions - observation | 81,872 | 104,023 |
| Junctions - turning right | 32,639 | 39,908 |
| Junctions - turning left | 3,023 | 3,694 |
| Junctions - cutting corners | 1,367 | 2,274 |
| Judgement - overtaking | 4,194 | 5,655 |
| Judgement - meeting | 19,600 | 27,960 |
| Judgement - crossing | 13,402 | 16,629 |
| Positioning - normal driving | 27,677 | 34,211 |
| Positioning - lane discipline | 11,156 | 14,628 |
| Pedestrian crossing | 11,682 | 12,805 |
| Position - normal stops | 3,603 | 5,219 |
| Awareness/planning | 13,701 | 17,030 |
| Ancillary controls | 606 | 637 |
| Vehicle checks | 64 | 71 |
3. Request 2
Please provide a breakdown of the number of faults recorded on Category B driving Test passes for financial years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. Please provide the data broken down by number of faults 0-15. This is only for tests which were PASSED. Either the count of the number of tests or the percentage of the total passed tests is required against each number of faults so that the distribution can be determined.
4. Response
The table below shows the number of category B (car) practical tests that were passed nationally, broken down by the number of faults that were incurred on test; for the financial years 2010/11 and 2011/12.
| No. of Faults recorded | Financial year 2010/11 | Financial year 2011/12 |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 8,189 | 10,328 |
| 1 | 30,247 | 34,342 |
| 2 | 70,970 | 76,956 |
| 3 | 95,501 | 99,922 |
| 4 | 102,663 | 104,493 |
| 5 | 98,310 | 97,189 |
| 6 | 86,932 | 84,292 |
| 7 | 71,498 | 67,869 |
| 8 | 56,500 | 52,250 |
| 9 | 41,988 | 38,052 |
| 10 | 30,238 | 27,152 |
| 11 | 20,794 | 18,037 |
| 12 | 14,101 | 12,049 |
| 13 | 8,841 | 7,400 |
| 14 | 5,335 | 4,245 |
| 15 | 1,952 | 1,579 |