The affects on Young Learner Drivers:
We have heard reports of young drivers struggling to get jobs due to the driving test shortage. Although the DVLA originally prioritised ‘key workers’, they do not get that luxury anymore. In some parts of the country, it can be extremely difficult to get a job without the ability to drive a car. This might be because of a poor public transport network or due to requiring a car for the job.
The other huge problem the driving test backlog has had on young drivers is the increase in stress in learning to drive and taking the test itself. The majority of people who take a driving test fail and this means the search for a driving test goes on and on and on. A learner driver may have waited 3 months for a test and then will have to wait a further three months to attempt it again. When you add in the backlog to
book a theory test, it can end up taking up to a year to learn to drive and pass the test due to the backlogs.
Learning to drive is a privilege and not a right, and every care should be taken to make sure the scrutiny of the driving test is carried out. But there is no doubt that the driving test backlog has had profound impacts on young drivers today.