Driving test fails down to nerves not skills
Nervousness rather than a lack of skills causes 73% of driving test fails, according to new research.
The study, carried out by under 17s training provider Young Driver, also found that 65% of instructors said that either pupils or their parents were pushing for a test booking before they were ready.
Ian Mulingani, managing director of Young Driver, said: “How frustrating it must be to wait half a year to take your test, and then be told that you’ve failed and need to reapply?
“Having appropriate levels of confidence during your test is vital, and combined with the right technical skills, will give you the tools you need to pass first time. Early driver training, well before youngsters hit 17 boosts that confidence and ultimately creates safer drivers.
“Tellingly, only two per cent of our instructors believed that over-confidence had contributed to their students failing; in a vast majority of cases it’s the complete opposite. That’s why making young people feel more relaxed and assured behind the wheel is key during their actual driving test.”
Young Driver has provided nearly 1.7 million accompanied lessons to under-17s during the last 16 years, operating from over 70 sites across the UK. Training is available to children as young as four, with purpose-built models teaching the basics of driving.
It has reported that just 3.3% of drivers who have been through its training crashed their cars in the first six months of driving compared to the national average of 20%.
