Driving tests Sheffield: South Yorkshire has one of the longest driving test booking backlogs in the UK

Data shows the region has one of the longest backlogs in the UK with a caseload of at least 6,264 people who were unable to book a test in March.

The analysis carried out by the learner driver insurer, Marmalade, estimates 68,817 new motorists will battle for test slots across 2022/23 in South Yorkshire.

While some learners will secure tests as hoped, others will be left disappointed as they fall into a lengthy rollover.

South Yorkshire was fifth worst for cases in the UK in the rankings. It came behind Merseyside with 6,324, while Greater Manchester came first with 12,618.

The backlog estimation comes after Marmalade obtained data through a Freedom of Information request showing all tests booked for 2022, as well as gross demand for tests through the DVSA across all of 2021.

As well as this, after analysing Office for National Statistics 2021 driving test data, the team were able to establish an average capacity for practical testing across the UK.

Beyond this month the rollover will continue to compound each month for the next 21 months as test-ready learners build and capacity for testing struggles to cover demand.

It is estimated that capacity will only become available from January 2024 onwards, which means another two years of delays, extra costs and frustration for thousands of learners across South Yorkshire.

Crispin Moger, CEO of Marmalade, said: “Learner drivers have been consistently impacted as a result of the pandemic and the 2020/21 lockdowns. We have seen the biggest ever backlog in access to driving tests and for many this will have set them back quite considerably in their journey to getting on the road or perhaps even ended it for some.

“The DVSA has said it is offering overtime to examiners and rolling out a recruitment drive to increase capacity, while also closing down test centres across the UK as well as we’ve seen recently in the likes of Manchester and Shropshire.”

Research published in February this year claimed Sheffield was the fifth safest region in the UK for learner drivers.