Would you believe that the UK driving test is now 80 years old!!?? June 1st marked the 80th anniversary of a traditional rite of passage for people throughout the generations in the UK.
To help mark the occasion, we have drawn up a list of 10 interesting facts about UK driving!
No. 1. – Remember the Name!
On the 16th March 1935, Mr R Beere was the very first person to pass the UK driving test.
(We know that this date is before the official launch date of the UK driving test but Mr Beere actually took part in a voluntary testing programme!)
No. 2 – What is the UK Pass Rate?
According to the DoT, figures covering the 2013/ 2014 period indicate the pass rate for the practical driving test in the UK is 47.1% (significantly lower than the SDF pass rate we hasten to add!!).
No. 3 – A Proven Bestseller!
First launched in 1931, the Highway Code is a perennial fixture in the UK bestsellers list and sells hundreds of thousands of copies each year, as people look to brush up on their knowledge ahead of the Driving Theory test.
No. 4 – No Tests Were Passed During This Period
Did you know that the onset of WW2 meant that all driving tests were suspended from September 2nd 1939 through to the end of the conflict? You do now!
No. 5 – Passing Your Motorcycle Test Offered More!
This has always been a little bit of a head scratcher but back in the 1930s, passing your motorcycle test would actually result in you being legally allowed to drive a car as well!
Fortunately, this madness has long since stopped.
No. 6 – Think the M1 is Bad Now??
With constant heavy traffic and seemingly never ending road works, the M1 can be a painful place to travel along on occasion. However, when the M1 was initially opened back on the 2nd of November 1959, it was horrendous! No noted speed limit, no central reservation or crash barriers and no lighting made this a very dangerous road to travel upon.
No. 7 – Drink Driving Laws Used To Be Much More Relaxed
Drink-drive laws came into force in October 1967, which dictated that the legal limit for driving after a session down the pub be 80mg of alcohol in 100ml of blood.
No. 8 – The Advancing of the Theory Test
The beginning of the new millennium saw a huge transformation of the driving theory test. Test subjects answer begun to answer questions using a touch-screen computer, something that was unthinkable just a few short years earlier.
No. 9 – Most of Us Think That We’re Pretty Good Drivers
This one is pretty timeless. In 2013, the RAC released a report stating that 92% of British drivers consider themselves to be great drivers!
However, 65 per cent of those quizzed also admitted to breaking the speed limit on a fairly regular basis!
No. 10 – Cars are Safer Than They Have Been For a Long Time!
Number 10 in the list is great news for drivers up and down the country. Figures recently released indicated that in the period covering 2013/2014, 70,056 cars were stolen. Does this sound a little high? It does until you see that in 2005/2006, 203,239 cars were stolen! The further these figures drop the better but it’s great to see that things are moving in the right direction.