Revealed: 15-week wait for a driving test in the South West

Young drivers in the South West are enduring a near four-month wait to get a driving test. DVSA data has revealed it takes an average of 15.3 weeks after booking a test to take it in the region – the fourth worst wait across England, Wales and Scotland. As the backlog created by COVID-19 lockdowns continues to cause learners misery, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from Adrian Flux, one of the UK’s largest motor insurance brokers, has revealed the full extent of the delays. Further analysis of the findings around driving test centres delays in the region showed:

One of the 22 fully-booked centres across the three countries analysed is in the South West. It’s in Penzance.

There are less than 10% of slots available at the following locations that are recorded as having a 24-week wait*: Bristol (Kingswood), Barnstaple, Gloucester, Salisbury, Swindon
The other centre in Bristol (Avonmouth) only has an eight-week wait while there are some good options in Cornwall (Launceston, six weeks) and Devon (Exeter, four)
Dorchester’s (five weeks) waiting time is a quarter of Poole’s (20), the only other option in Dorset
The only other option available, Cheltenham (eight weeks), is by far the best centre to book at test at in Gloucestershire
Waits in Somerset aren’t too clever with Taunton (10 weeks) being the shortest delay
A four-week wait for a test in Trowbridge provides some respite in Wiltshire with the other three centres having delays of 20 weeks or more
The region’s other centres to avoid include Plymouth (19 weeks), Yeovil (20), Chippenham (20) and Camborne (21)

The miserable hold-ups are forcing thousands of teenagers to take extra lessons to stay sharp ahead of tackling their practical exam. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, many are now choosing to get extra practice by getting behind the wheel of their parents’ car rather than paying for extra tuition from instructors. Adrian Flux has seen an 108% rise in policies or quotes being made or taken out by learners who stated the car they were driving in belonged to a parent for 2021 and 2022 compared with 2018 and 2019 (data for each year taken from January 1 to October 15). “It’s clear that the backlog caused by various coronavirus lockdowns that began in March 2020 are continuing to cause frustrating delays for young drivers,” said Gerry Bucke, Adrian Flux’s general manager. “Taking out a policy to learn to drive in your parents’ car makes so much sense on many levels. With short term and pay-as-you-go policies from 65p-per-day it’s much more cost effective than paying for extra lessons or extending learner driver insurance cover while you wait. The parents’ no claims bonus is protected and the extra practice should hopefully help ensure you don’t have to wait for a retest.” Read the full findings to see how the problems in the South West compare to waiting times elsewhere in the rest of England, Wales and Scotland