Does it matter where you live? Londoners rated as the worst learner drivers Learners located in London and South East England need more attempts at the driving test to pass compared to every other part of Britain, based on a new survey by the AA. An overall total of 20,109 people responded to the survey, which revealed that Londoners sat the test on average 2.09 times, while those in the south east needed 2.11 tests, which is five percent worse compared to UK average. Simon Douglas, the AA Driving School director, said: "Busy, complex roads in London and the South-east appear to contribute to learners there finding it slightly more challenging." Drivers in the east of England returned the best result, taking just 1.9 attempts to pass. They were closely followed by the North East, Yorkshire & Humberside and the East Midlands. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is quoted as saying that those who have passed their test have had 45 hours of professional training and 22 hours of private practice - on average. Douglas sums up the findings: "Many factors shape local pass rates. But, wherever you reside, professional tuition using a fully-qualified driving instructor will give you the best possible head start towards passing your L-test and beyond." The full league table is below: East of England 1.87 Yorkshire & Humberside 1.91 North-east of England 1.91 East Midlands 1.92 Scotland 1.97 South-west of England 1.97 West Midlands 1.98 Wales 2.02 North-west of England 2.03 Northern Ireland 2.03 London 2.09 South-east of England 2.11

Independent driving: the facts Independent driving will become part of the practical driving test in Great Britain in October 2010. It's tasking the candidate to drive for about 10 minutes, either following a series of directions, following traffic signs, or a combination of both. To help the candidate be clear about where they’re going, the examiner can show them a diagram too. It doesn't matter if candidates don't remember every direction, or if they go the wrong way - that can happen to the most experienced drivers. Newspaper reports The claim in some newspapers that independent driving would lead to a fall in the driving test pass rate is based on early research where conditions did not reflect the eventual design of the new element of the test. Subsequent trials with a larger number of participants and more closely reflecting the conditions in the planned new test showed no significant fall in the pass rate. Video shows independent driving DSA has published a short video on its YouTube channel explaining more about independent driving. Watch the video on YouTube.