Under new proposal outline learner drivers will be required to memorise directions, follow signs to get to a final destination and also have their instructor present during the exam. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) says the new section will promote ‘independent thinking’ and mimic a situation where a driver gets lost. Driving schools in Sunderland are now preparing new drivers ready for when the new proposals come however there is no definite indication on when that will be.

Research from the DSA suggests the changes will cause the pass rate to fall from 42 to 18 per cent which is less than one in five. However there has been some criticism from motoring groups with some saying it will make the test too difficult but others say it will prepare learner drivers for ‘real world’ driving.

The general manager of the Motor Schools Association, John Lepine, said: “If the pass rates drop by those figures it will be a massive extra cost to learner drivers who already have a lot to pay. That’s a crazy amount for test results to plummet by.”

Also Hugh Bladon of the Association of British Drivers said: “The whole driving system is absurd. These new measures are missing the point of stopping reckless drivers on the road. These confusing new tasks could just make it more costly and take more time for learner drivers to pass their test. Learners need to be taught the basics of driving first before they’re allowed on the road. You can’t stop them passing their test as denying people their license is denying them their freedom.”

The DSA say that “the new test will expose learners to real-life situations like getting lost and having to flag down passers-by to ask for directions as well as examiners will ask candidates to drive to a specific location by memorising his or her verbal instructions, or by following road signs. The learner will then drive for around 10 minutes without any help or prompting from the examiner. Candidates will also be asked to perform a five-point turn – or U-turn – in a road to mimic a driver going the wrong way and having to turn the car around.”

Many instructors and driving schools in Sunderland are aware of the impact this new test will have on pupils, after the DSA tested the new section on 100 learners they made five times more mistakes than the traditional test. However the learner drivers branded it ‘effortful, mentally demanding and frustrating’ and just 18 per cent passed, less than one in five.