As soon as I passed my theory test back in June, I hopped onto the GOV UK website to book my driving test. Little did I know it would be such a nightmare to even get a date - let alone would the next available date be over four months away.
After getting up at 5:45 on a Monday morning (the only time in the week when new test dates are released) I booked my slot begrudgingly, wondering how much extra money I would have to spend on lessons in the lead up to October.
But I'm not alone - thanks to the impact of Covid and the cancellations of thousands of tests, latest figures from the DVSA show that as of June 2024, the average waiting time for a driving test in England was more than 18 weeks.
Not only does it make it more expensive as you're learning for longer, but places a considerable amount of pressure on passing first time. With current delays, a learner has five attempts before their theory test runs out - which is another additional cost.
With the situation not looking to improve any time soon, I'm going to offer some words of wisdom for those looking to learn to drive, and what parents can do to help get their children ahead of the game.
As driving tests are like gold dust these days, be prepared to cancel any made plans and jump to do a test. Although this can sometimes be easier said than done as you have to make sure your instructors car is available to use with a test, be ready to drop everything if a test does become available.
At the moment, there's no official notification system on the GOV UK website for test cancellations, but there are a number of apps such as Testi that can notify you when tests become available in your area. With this, you can add in locations where you're able to take a test and it pays to be flexible here too.
Although it can be tempting to stick to the test route you know where you live - be prepared to look at dates in other nearby areas because you might be able to get a slot in sooner.
My biggest words of wisdom - don't wait until you're 26 to learn how to drive! In all seriousness, with the way things are at the moment, the best way forward is to learn as early as you can. So for all the parents out there, not only does this spread the cost out for longer, but can give your children the basic skills before starting official lessons at 17.
When you book driving lessons for kids instructors will cover the basics such as:
This is a fantastic opportunity for young people to get a head start before they start official lessons, and with costs from £39 it works out as only a few pounds more expensive than regular lessons. If you're not sure where to start, you can learn all about how to book a junior driving lesson. Furthermore, if you want to go that extra mile and treat a young car enthusiast, you can even book a junior supercar drive with a huge range of luxury cars on offer to trial alongside an instructor.
If you're lucky enough to have access to a car you can drive outside of lessons with learner insurance - use it. Even if it's nipping to the shops, going for a quiet drive on a Sunday morning for half an hour or so, or volunteering to take Mum and Dad to a quick appointment - any practice you can get in outside of official lessons will be beneficial. And with test waits as long as they are, getting some driving time in this way is going to be invaluable.
According to the DVSA, those who take the time to practice in between lessons not only do better when they take their driving test, but end up having fewer collisions over the next few years when they eventually pass. So don't neglect the practice you can get done outside of lessons.
Even though the state of driving tests is a nightmare at the moment, the only real way to cope with it is to accept the situation and take the practical steps you can to get around it, like getting extra practice in outside of lessons and for parents with younger children, exploring the option of driving lessons for under 17s.
Despite it being frustrating there's nothing that we as learners, or parents can do to change the situation, we just have to consider the fact it might just take longer than normal to get a driving licence. For the meantime, we'll have to learn to embrace all the extra bus and train rides.
