Some big changes are coming to the UK driving test

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is looking into making some changes to the UK driving test next year.

As Metro reports, driving tests in the near future could feature more questions on vehicle safety, along with increased independent driving time, with a look to see how well newly qualified drivers can follow sat nav instructions. It's hoped the rule changes - that could see driving manoeuvres such as reversing around the corner ditched - will help reduce collisions involving young rookie drivers. DVSA chief executive Gareth Llewellyn is quoted by Metro as saying: "Great Britain’s roads are among the safest in the world. But there’s still more that we can do to keep road users safe – particularly newly-qualified drivers. Making sure that the test better assesses a driver’s ability to drive safely and independently is part of our strategy to help every driver through a lifetime of safe driving," Llewellyn adds. At the time of writing, the current proposed changes include:

• Doubling the amount of ‘independent driving’ involved in a test from 10 to 20 minutes
• Asking drivers to follow sat nav instructions as part of their test
• Replace the ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn in the road’ manoeuvres with more real-life scenarios, such as driving into and reversing out of a parking bay
• Ask 1 of the 2 vehicle safety questions (known as the ‘show me, tell me’ questions) while the candidate is driving, such as asking them to use the rear heated screen

A full report of the changes will be published later in 2016, but the plans already have the blessing of road safety professionals. Driving Instructors Association CEO, Carly Brookfield, said: "We fully welcome the developments to the test and are compelled by the evidence we have seen to date from the trial to recommend that these long overdue developments are made to a driving test – which has been fundamentally unchanged for over 20 years and has not kept pace with how our roads and driver behaviour has developed over time."