Fewer than half of learner drivers taking their test in Luton pass - and more men than women get their licence

New research has revealed Luton is in the bottom of the charts when it comes to passing driving tests.

And men do better than women in the town, when it comes to getting that all important full driving licence.

Figures from Bill Plant Driving School show 41.9% people who took the test passed in Luton in the past year.

Durham has the best driving test pass rate in the UK (63.4%), followed by Perth (61.4%) and Hereford (61.0%). All three areas have more female drivers who have passed than males. Bottom was Wolverhampton with a pass rate of 31.2%.

In Luton more men than women passed, with men scoring 45.4% and women 37.6%. A total of 6,277 driving tests were taken in Luton in 2021.

A spokesman for Bill Plant Driving School, which has a base in Luton, said: “For countless people, across all spectrums and walks of life, learning to drive is a pivotal moment in their lives. By getting your licence and first car, the symbols of true freedom and independence, you can go wherever you want – so long as there is a road to get you there.

“However, driving daily as an experience can vary from location to location – with different accident rates, levels of congestion and even driving test pass rates. So, where are the best places to get your licence and drive a car in the UK? We’ve got you covered with a large amount of data acquired through the DVSA.”

The best UK areas for learner drivers was revealed to be Gloucester when taking into account the number of DVSA Approved driving instructors, the number of people with provisional licences, the number of road accidents and driving test pass rates.

The research revealed in Luton there are 159 approved driving instructors per 100,000 people, 29,507 provisional licence holders per 100,000 people and there have been 363 road accidents across the town. The figures do not reveal how many people took their test more than once in the year.

The driving school company say all data for the index ranking was taken from government sources.