Trainee drivers may have to wait up to six months before taking the test

The BBC can reveal that learner drivers in England and Wales can take up to six months between sitting their theory and practical tests.

As part of its wider road safety strategy, the government will unveil the measure on Wednesday and invite consultations.

Changes to driving laws aim to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Britain’s roads by 65% ​​and the number of children under 16 killed by 70% over the next decade.

Nearly one-fifth of all deaths or serious injuries in crashes in 2024 will involve a young car driver.

The government believes that the minimum period between sitting the theory test and the practical test will help learner drivers develop their skills, including driving in a variety of conditions.

The Department of Transport will consult on the minimum learning period of three or six months.

This will include any informal learning undertaken with parents or guardians as well as formal lessons with a driving instructor.

Evidence from other countries suggests that a minimum learning period can reduce collisions by 32%. Currently, learner drivers can take lessons from 17 and book a practical test as soon as they pass a theory test.

Young people under the age of 25 take most driving tests in the UK. In 2024–25, about 55% of tests were conducted by drivers aged 17–24.

Learner drivers currently face a waiting time of about six months Due to the backlog caused by the Covid pandemic, they had to give their practical exams anyway. The backlog is expected to last until the end of 2027.

The proposed changes could prevent teenagers from taking the test a few days after they turn 17, meaning the youngest drivers would have to be at least 17 and a half years old.

There are strong campaigns in the UK to introduce a “Graduate Driving Licence” (GDL). Different countries have different types of GDLs, such as prohibiting newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers or driving at night.

GDL’s supporters include some parents of youth who have died on the streets.

Sharon Huddleston started the campaign to launch GDL eight years ago after her daughter Caitlin died in an accident at the age of 18.

Sharon supports the proposed minimum learning period but added, “We also need safety precautions after testing.”

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Sky Mitchell, the driver involved in the murder, had only completed his test four months prior.

Sharon believes Caitlin “would still be here” if the UK had introduced graduated driving licences, which would have prevented newly qualified, young drivers from carrying passengers their own age.

“All the girls [in the car] were 18 years old,” she said.

“This is the strongest element of the graduated driving licence that will save many young lives.”

The AA welcomed the measures announced by the government but said not introducing a GDL was “a missed opportunity”.

Its chairman, Edmund King, told the BBC that “all the evidence, from Australia, from Canada, from other countries” shows that limiting the number of passengers of the same age in a car for six months “will save lives”.

He said of the learning period, “It will help, but the question is, does it go far enough?”

The road safety strategy will also include proposals to lower the drink-driving limit in England and Wales to bring it in line with Scotland. The limit will be even lower for novice drivers, which is already in place in Northern Ireland.

The BBC revealed in October that further research on headlight glare will be included in the strategy.

Twenty-one-year-old Alissa Fielder, from Surrey, passed her test as a teenager, but a year ago she crashed while trying to overtake a lorry on a motorway. No one was injured, but his car was wrecked.

“I was too late to check the blind spot and all the cars in front stopped,” he said.

“If I had maybe taken a few more lessons, I would have known that you can’t really take that long.“

After the accident, Alyssa did not drive for a year. She has since undertaken an informal assessment with the charity IAM RoadSmart to boost her confidence and find out what she needs to work on.

“I was not driving to the best standards and that is why I crashed.”

Alissa said the process of becoming a better driver should continue even after a person passes the test. “Maybe you need to take more lessons from a professional.”

Local Transport Minister Lillian Greenwood said young people make up only 6% of all drivers, but they are involved in almost a quarter of fatal and serious collisions.

“Inexperience puts drivers, passengers and other road users at greater risk,” he said.

The proposed learning period is “about helping young drivers develop the confidence they need to stay safe and giving them more time to build their skills and gain experience in different driving situations.”.