New research reveals driver confidence

New research has found that 70% of UK drivers believe they’d pass their practical driving tests if they retook them.

This is according to Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS), which also found that 81% of over 65s feel they would re-pass the test.

Official figures from the DVSA showed there were 692,684 practical tests taken in the 2021/22 reporting period, with a pass rate of 50.5%. Whilst the number of practical tests taken has fallen 60% since 2016/17, the pass rate has climbed from 47.1%.

Volkswagen Financial Services UK’s study also found that more than half of respondents (59%) think they would pass a re-sit of their theory test.

However, confidence in this aspect of the test decreases with age, with 53% of over 45s believing they would pass, compared to 76% of millennials.

A considerable 46% of the population are confident that they would pass both parts of their driving test, whilst 17% of the population don’t feel confident they’d pass either.

One in five women feel they wouldn’t pass either element of the test, which is a significantly greater proportion than men (15%). This is reflective of official DVSA figures which highlight a practical test pass rate of 53% among males in 2021/22 versus a pass rate of 48% for females.

Charlotte Cheeseman, head of marketing at Volkswagen Financial Services UK, said: “Most of us learn to drive when we’re teenagers and as the years go by I’m sure most people pick up bad habits along the way. So it’s interesting to see that so many drivers believe they’d re-pass their practical test at the drop of a hat, especially when you consider that a significant number of the population are likely to have sat their original test more than 20 years ago. But I think this research relates to a wider point about the British public’s undeniable love of driving. For me, it speaks volumes about our collective confidence on the road and that we feel safe, relaxed and comfortable in our cars.”