Learner drivers in Sheffield below national average for first time passes

More than two in five people who took their first test at the Middlewood Road Test Centre last year gained their licence, new figures reveal.

But learners at the Handsworth Test Centre were lower on their luck with one of the worst records for passing their test at the first attempt.

Hopeful students made 3,281 first attempts at passing their car driving test at Handsworth in 2019-20, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency figures show.

Of those, 1,339 were successful, which at a pass rate of 41 per cent, was one of the lowest of any test centre in the region included in the data.

At Middlewood 3,581 first attempts were made, 1,597 were successful, a pass rate of 45 per cent. The British average pass rate for first attempts is 46 per cent.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said data suggested that a decline in the number of young people holding a driving licence in recent years had begun to reverse.

“With the challenges of Covid-related restrictions we could witness higher numbers of young people learning to drive because they see it as important to their employment prospects," he explained.

Mr Gooding added that test centres in quieter locations may prove less challenging on the day than those in congested urban areas.

“Every driver knows that passing the test is only the first hurdle – the real challenge comes when a newly qualified driver has to take full responsibility themselves,” he said. “Safely negotiate the first 1,000 miles after gaining your licence and the risk of having a crash drops sharply.”

Of the 3,281 first attempts made at the Handsworth Test Centre in Sheffield, 28 drivers passed with no faults. At Middlewood Road, 46 drivers passed with no faults. They were among 10,375 learners across Britain who passed on their first attempt without putting a foot wrong.

Edmund King, AA president, said pass rates can be affected by many factors, including the number of lessons a learner takes, their level of experience and road layouts.

The DVSA said figures are based on driver licence numbers, so someone who has changed their licence could be reported more than once in the data.

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