Latest news with #drivingtest
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
DVSA drafts in 100 mental health first aiders as staff face anger at huge waits for driving tests across Britain
The Driver and Vehicle and Standards Agency (DVSA) has trained up more than 100 mental health first aiders amid pressures on staff to cut waiting times for driving tests. Britain's driving test backlog recently reached a new high with 631,472 future practical driving tests booked as of the end of May – up from 527,368 a year ago. Despite the growing demand, the number of tests conducted during the first five months of this year was 14 per cent lower than the same period in 2024. There were 757,867 tests taken between January and May, down from 877,387 a year earlier. As of March this year, the average waiting time for a practical car test was 21.9 weeks – up from 16.1 weeks in March 2024. The DVSA has a target of reducing car practical test waiting times to seven weeks or less by December this year. In the agency's annual report, chief executive Loveday Ryder admitted it was 'not on track' to meet that target despite providing 1.96million car driving tests in 2024–25. Some of those who have spent months trying to to book a test have complained about test slots across the country being sold via WhatsApp groups for more than double the normal price. As of March this year, the average waiting time for a practical car test was 21.9 weeks – up from 16.1 weeks in March 2024 'We recognise the impact this has on learner drivers across the country and on driving instructors and their businesses,' Ms Ryder wrote. 'We are doing all we can to address this, working with the Government quickly to develop a plan to tackle the car practical test waiting time.' She added: 'We recognise that there are no quick fixes and that we need to re–balance supply and demand for tests alongside tackling the systematic abuse of the test booking system.' The DVSA boss also acknowledged the pressures her staff were under to cut waiting times, amid plummeting satisfaction rates among learner drivers. She continued: 'Our commitment to colleague wellbeing was reflected in the launch of our comprehensive mental health strategy, which included training over 100 mental health first aiders across the organisation. 'This initiative has been particularly important given the pressures our colleagues have faced while working to reduce waiting times and meet customer expectations.' The driving tests backlog has been largely building since the Covid pandemic and has been rising since Labour came to power last summer. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said in April the Labour Government 'inherited an enormous backlog'. But she added that ministers were 'acting fast' to tackle the issue, with at least 10,000 extra tests to be available each month. The Government recently launched a consultation on amending the driving test booking system. This is with the aim of stopping bots from mass–booking new slots so they can be resold on the black market for inflated prices. Other measures in response to the backlog include instructing the DVSA to offer additional overtime payments to incentivise instructors to conduct more tests. Staff at the agency qualified to conduct tests are being asked to voluntarily return to the front line, while the number of permanent trainers for new examiners is being doubled. A DVSA spokesperson said last month: 'We know that many learners are still struggling to book driving tests, and we're working tirelessly to reduce waiting times and help more people get on the road. 'Despite this, there are currently over 630,000 learners who have a future test date secured – which is the highest number of test slots that we've ever seen booked. 'As we continue to make more tests available, the number of learners with a slot booked will continue to rise, providing more people with the opportunity to continue their learning journey.'
The Independent
16-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Luke Littler hits the wire after failing driving theory test for fourth time
World champion Luke Littler may be the master of the oche, but he is yet to master the Highway Code after failing his driving theory test for a fourth time. The 18-year-old has driven darts to a new level following his emergence on to the world scene 18 months ago, but he will not be getting behind the wheel any time soon after suffering more misery in the exam room. Littler revealed he had failed his theory test – a requirement before anyone can take a practical exam – for a fourth time on Wednesday. He scored 45 out of 50 on the multiple choice section, which was enough to pass, but only scored 41 out of 75 on the hazard perception, two short of the required mark. He posted a picture of his exam report on his Instagram story, with the caption '4th time and counting' accompanied by a 'green feeling unwell' emoji. Littler, who was a World Championship finalist before he was even old enough to take driving lessons, will have to quickly put his disappointment behind him as he prepares for the World Matchplay, which starts in Blackpool this weekend. Littler, chasing the title for the first time, takes on Ryan Searle in the first round on Sunday.
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Luke Littler fails driving theory test again as darts star shares picture of his results
DARTS sensation Luke Littler has narrowly failed his driving theory test for the "fourth time and counting". The 2025 PDC World Darts champion became the youngest ever winner of the tournament at just 17 years old - and he finally got to celebrate a darts victory with a legal pint later that month when he turned 18. 4 4 4 Now, he's going through the next teenage milestone - getting his driving licence. Unfortunately for Littler, he's not as good at spotting dangers on the road as he is at pinning darts on the board. Posting to Instagram, the Manchester United fan uploaded a picture of his driving theory results on to his story. The top of the letter read: 'I'm sorry to tell you that you failed your car theory test.' The picture shows Littler passed his multiple choice test, scoring 45 out of 50 and surpassing the required pass mark of 43. But it was on hazard perception that he fell down. He managed 41 out of 75, meaning he was agonisingly short of the 43-point pass mark. He summed up his fail with the caption: '4th time… and counting.' Littler, who bagged himself an MBE last month, was recently teased by his pal on TV for being unable to pass his theory. Morgan Burtwistle, better known as streamer AngryGinge, referenced Littler's extensive trophy cabinet and lucrative brand deals during their Celebrity Gogglebox appearance. 4 He asked: 'What have we got behind us here, Luke?' Littler replied: 'What haven't we got?' Joking with his friend, AngryGinge answered: 'You can do all this, but you can't pass your driving theory.' Littler has won two World Series of Darts titles, 13 PDC titles and five major titles, as well as being crowned the youngest player to hit a televised nine-dart finish. But while he's already made those dreams come true, it appears his dream of driving a Mercedes A-Class will have to be put on hold for now.
Daily Mail
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Luke Littler, you require a FIFTH driving theory test! Darts superstar, 18, reveals his full results after fourth-time failure kept him waiting on his dream car
Luke Littler might be prodigious talent at the oche but he's far from elite behind the wheel and has revealed that he requires a fifth driving theory test after his latest failure. Indeed, the 18-year-old's struggles have begun even before the practical stage of the assessment. Littler has shared the results of his fourth unsuccessful attempt, highlighting that his hazard perception needs the most work of all. For a man who exhibits unparalleled focus when dazzling grounds around the world, it is somewhat understandable that he could be rather blinkered in his everyday life. The Warrington native posted a score of 45/50 on the multiple choice portion of the exam, exceeding the pass mark by two. But when it came to hazard perception he could only manage a score of 41/75, when 44 was required to pass. Littler accompanied the post of his results on social media with the caption: '4th time... and counting.' Followed by a 'nauseated face' emoji. Unfortunately for the darts sensation, the sub-par performance means he'll have to wait a little longer to get behind the wheel of his dream car. After becoming the youngest winner of the World Championship in January, Littler opened up on his love for the Mercedes A-Class. 'Last year I was looking at driving and I loved the Ford Focus, but now I've gone up in the world just a little,' he told reporters. 'I've always loved a Mercedes A-Class. Just a small car.' Another point of frustration is sure to be the lack of time in his busy schedule. Last month, Littler took his talents Stateside as he participated in the increasingly-popular US Darts Masters. The best players in the world descended on The Theater at Madison Square Garden as fans across the pond got a taste of the madness for a fourth straight year in the Big Apple. It proved to be an uncharacteristically poor showing for the teenager, who was knocked out at the quarter-final stage after defeat by Nathan Aspinall.
Irish Times
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Driving test confusion: ‘Multiple candidates' miss appointments due to mix-up over two centres
Confusion over the location of two west Dublin driving test centres has resulted in learner drivers missing appointments and the centres having higher than average 'no show' rates. The centres in Mulhuddart are at Maple House in Rosemount Business Park, and at Carlton Hotel on the old Navan Road. Thomas Hand, a 17-year-old learner driver from Portrane, Co Dublin, got a cancellation appointment on June 26th for his test and arrived at Maple House centre. 'Despite being on time, I was informed I had missed my appointment,' he said. He arrived at the wrong test centre because his GPS defaulted to the main centre 'with no listing for the Carlton Hotel location'. READ MORE He was deemed a 'no show' and told he would have to apply again for his test. 'Staff told me this is a recurring issue and that multiple candidates miss tests because of this confusion,' he said. His 'no show' appointment was his third test. He had previously secured cancellations for his first test in Finglas on May 16th and his second in Tallaght on June 5th. The teenager said he needed to pass his test by August when his insurance was due for renewal as he would not be able to afford the learner driver premium next time. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said the test appointment confirmation 'clearly states the address and eircode of the chosen location' and applicants should 'read the communication that issues to them'. The RSA 'has not received a significant level of complaints on this issue. Nevertheless, to avoid possible confusion, we will include 'Mulhuddart' in the Maple House Google Maps entry'. Dublin West Fine Gael TD Emer Currie said one of the centres 'could easily be renamed to avoid confusion, but since 2023 the RSA hasn't done so'. She said 'this is one of a number of simple things the RSA could do to make the testing system more efficient and reduce no-shows', which in 2023 and 2024 totalled 15,103. In a parliamentary reply, Ms Currie received figures showing tens of thousands of learners are 'pausing' their applications rather than pushing for a test date. Between 2022 and 2024, a total of 166,975 driving-test applications were 'paused' including 51,538 last year alone. She said the figures needed to be investigated because they represented about 18 per cent of applications and they indicated that learners were using the driving-test confirmation to renew their learner permit and pause their application instead. Susan Gray, of road safety campaign group Parc, said it shows 'how easy and how many can game the system'. She said 8,600 failed to show last year for their test, but 'people don't even have to select a date. They just apply to go on a waiting list and then use that letter to renew their permit'. The RSA and Department of Transport have agreed legislative changes to reduce the number of long-term learner permit holders on Irish roads, although no date has been given for implementation. The RSA said: 'Third or subsequent permits will only be issued if the applicant has taken a driving test within the previous two years – booking a test will no longer be sufficient. 'No more than four consecutive learner permits will be allowed. After the fourth, the individual must restart the entire process' including the theory test and lessons.
