Learner drivers are being encouraged to take note of new research that reveals the most common reasons for failing their driving test over the past year.
With the UK pass rate dipping below half at 48.4 percent, car insurance firm One Sure Insurance has delved into data from the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency (DVSA) to highlight the top 10 mistakes made in car driving tests from April 2023 to March 2024.
The most prevalent fault since last year is observations at junctions, where drivers must ensure it’s safe to move off. Here, learners should be considering the speed of other vehicles and only entering the roundabout when it’s completely clear.
The second most common mistake is not checking mirrors when changing direction. Learners should be comfortable with using mirrors when altering speed and direction before signalling.
This means learners should perform the ‘mirror, signal, manoeuvre’ routine when both changing lanes and exiting on both roundabouts and dual carriageways.
The third most common fault is not moving off safely. This includes pulling away from the kerb, on a hill, or from behind a parked car without causing other drivers to slow down or make emergency stops.
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Turning right at junctions is the fourth most common mistake. This can be tricky for learners as it involves moving from the left-hand side of the road towards the centre.
The fifth most common error is not responding correctly to traffic lights. Learners often fail their test for driving through a red light, stopping beyond the white line cyclist area, proceeding through a green light when the junction isn’t clear, and blocking junctions by not moving when it’s safe to do so.
The top 10 most common mistakes in a UK driving test:
1. Junctions – observation.
2. Mirrors – change direction.
3. Move off – safely.
4. Junctions – turning right.
5. Response to signs – traffic lights.
6. Control – steering.
7. Response to signs – traffic signs.
8. Response to signs – road markings.
9. Positioning – normal driving.
10. Use of speed.
A spokesperson for One Sure Insurance commented on the findings: “Drivers are required to demonstrate safe and competent driving, avoid serious faults, and keep minor mistakes to a minimum to pass. Out of the 1,945,225 driving tests carried out in the UK from April 2023 to March 2024, 2.0 percent of tests had zero faults. Only 4.2 percent (38,771) of the 931,494 test passes occurred without any faults.”
“We recommend learners to pay special attention to the above faults during their lessons as this is where we see drivers falling short in their test. Learners must remember even though driving tests are difficult, they are difficult for a reason, and the high standard of the tests will prepare you for safe driving through your life.”
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