Over half of drivers would fail theory test resit, says survey

Drivers have been urged to regularly revisit the Highway Code to be up to date with latest road laws – mladenbalinovac/E+

More than half of drivers would fail a resit of their highways theory test, a survey suggests.

A poll of motorists found that 48 per cent could answer at least four out of five theory test questions correctly.

The survey of 2,000 motorists also revealed that just 12 per cent of drivers would be capable of passing their theory tests afresh with full marks.

The findings suggest that drivers’ knowledge of safety-critical road rules and regulations is lacking – and comes despite the number of UK road deaths falling by 9 per cent in the 12 months to June 2023.

Connor Campbell, a spokesman for Independent Advisor Car Insurance, which commissioned the theory test poll, said its findings highlighted a concerning gap in road safety knowledge.

“It’s shocking how many motorists don’t know the rules when it comes to the basics of safe driving practices.

“With fixed penalty notices seeing a sharp rise since the Highway Code was last updated in 2022, it’s also crucial to regularly revisit the code to ensure you are up to date with the latest road laws.”

Administered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, the driving theory test has two parts: a multiple-choice exam whose pass mark is 86 per cent and a video hazard perception test where the pass mark is 59 per cent.

Two in three 17 to 24-year-olds struggled to answer at least four out of the selected five questions from the driving theory test correctly.

Government data suggests that male car drivers aged 17-24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured than motorists aged 25 or over.

That finding came after the AA renewed its call for younger drivers to be subjected to tougher restrictions aimed at cutting the number of “needless” road deaths.

Around 14 per cent of male drivers got all five of the multiple-choice questions right, with women lagging behind at 9.2 per cent.

Londoners were the most likely to fail a theory test resit, with 64 per cent of those surveyed incorrectly answering four out of the five questions – and averaging just two correct responses.

Scottish motorists had the most accurate recall of the Highway Code, with 56 per cent answering correctly.

‘We could all benefit from reading up on rules’

Edmund King, president of the AA, said the results showed that graduated driving licences for young drivers was an increasingly important policy proposal.

“The fact that so many qualified drivers struggle to answer basic questions on the rules of road shows that, particularly for new drivers who are more at risk on the roads, a form of graduated learning before taking their test and limits on same age passengers after the test, would help to save lives,” said Mr King.

The AA has campaigned for years for new drivers to be subjected to tough restrictions that would ban them from giving lifts to their friends, a policy its president says is needed to cut the number of “needless deaths” on the roads.

“Many of us took our tests before the theory test was a requirement so we could probably all benefit from reading up on the rules of the road,” he continued.

“In fact, it is not just learner drivers but current drivers who could benefit from the AA Driving School Theory Test app.”

Research by the motor insurer has previously revealed that one in five young drivers crash within a year of passing their test.

For each similarly-aged passenger in a young motorist’s car, the risk of crashing increases fourfold, the organisation said.

A Department for Transport spokesman said earlier this month, when the AA renewed its call for graduated driving licences to be introduced: “While the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, any death is a tragedy, which is why we continue working tirelessly to improve road safety for everyone.”

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