Changes to driving tests mean learners will have to follow sat nav directions to pass

Learner drivers will have to be able to follow directions from a sat nav in order to pass their test, ministers have announced.
Driving testDriving test
Driving test

The Government has announced four changes to the current test which will come into force on December 4.

Drivers will have to complete 20 minutes of independent driving rather than just 10 as well as answer vehicle safety questions while behind the wheel.

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Manoeuvres such as reversing around a corner and three-point turns will also be scrapped in the new test.

The "show me" and "tell me" question at the beginning of the test will become a "show me" question while driving such as asking candidates to wash the windscreen using the car controls.

Ministers want to make sure that training and the driving test reduce the number of young people being killed in collisions.

The DVSA said a public consultation on the changes received around 4,000 responses, with 71 per cent agreeing with asking candidates to follow directions from a sat nav.

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Around 88 per cent of respondents agreed with increasing the length of the independent driving part of the test, it said.

Transport Minister, Andrew Jones, said: "Our roads are among the safest in the world. However, road collisions are the biggest killer of young people.

"These changes will help us to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads and equip new drivers with the skill they need to use our roads safely."