The latest data released today (11 August 2022) by the Department for Transport reveals the car driving test pass rate for January to March 2022 was 47.1%. This is down from 48.1% in the previous quarter.

To provide support for learner drivers, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has recently launched the ‘Ready to Pass?’ campaign at www.gov.uk/ready-to-pass. It aims to improve pass rates, which will help to reduce the waiting times for tests.

The campaign gives learner drivers advice on:

• finding an approved driving instructor
• monitoring and checking progress of their driving lessons and private practice
• when to take a mock test
• how to manage test-day nerves – 1 in 10 learners who fail their driving test say the main reason they failed was because they were too nervous

The website also includes a checklist of the things learner drivers should consider when they and their driving instructor agree they’re ready to take the test.

DVSA is asking learner drivers to move their test back if they are not ready, so their appointment can be used by someone else who is ready. They can do this free of charge up to 3 full working days before their test.

Driving examiners had to take physical action in 1 in 5 failed tests

Between April 2021 and March 2022, car driving tests were failed 786,400 times.

DVSA research shows that driving examiners had to physically intervene in 168,583 tests during that time to avoid a dangerous incident. This means driving examiners had to do things such as brake or steer the car in 1 in 5 failed tests.

Increasing the number of driving tests

DVSA has already taken unprecedented action to increase test availability. The latest statistics show that 425,887 car driving tests were carried out between 1 January and 31 March 2022 (up 14% compared to the same period in 2020).

Since April 2021, DVSA has created about 428,000 more test appointments than are normally available by:

• recruiting new driving examiners – this has created an estimated 140,000 extra appointments
• carrying out overtime, including at weekends and on public holidays – this has created an estimated 135,000 extra appointments
• getting all colleagues who are qualified to carry out driving tests but have moved to other roles to carry out tests – this has created an estimated 75,000 extra appointments
• increasing utilisation – this has created an estimated 60,000 extra appointments
• buying back leave from driving examiners – this has created an estimated 13,000 extra appointments
• inviting recently retired driving examiners to return to work – this has created an estimated 5,000 extra appointments

Make sure you’re ready – and delay your test if you’re not

Loveday Ryder, DVSA Chief Executive, said:

We took swift action to tackle the impact of the pandemic and ensure as many people as possible could take their driving test. I’m glad to see the action we took – along with the hard work of driving instructors and our driving examiners – is working, and more test slots are available for learner drivers.

However, with less than half of learners passing, I’d urge them to use our Ready to Pass? checklist to make sure they’re ready – and delay their test if they’re not. This will help make more tests available and prevent people having to pay to re-test.

Official statistics released today (11 August 2022) by the Department for Transport reveal that the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) carried out 74% more lorry driving tests between 1 January 2022 and 31 March 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels.

Action to help deal with the HGV driver shortage

Changes to simplify the process to become a heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver to help deal with the HGV driver shortage were introduced by the government in 2021. These included:

• allowing the off-road part of the lorry test to be carried out by non-DVSA assessors
• allowing drivers to take one test to drive both a rigid and articulated lorry
• removing the need for drivers to do a separate car and trailer test

In addition to these changes, DVSA recruited more vocational driving examiners to help make more tests available in the areas of where demand is highest.

The actions were part of the the government’s 33 actions taken to deal with the HGV driver shortage and protect the supply chain. This included:

• making 11,000 HGV driver training places available through Skills Bootcamps
• injecting a major and sustained boost to the number of HGV driving tests available
• investing £52.5 million in improvements in roadside facilities and lorry parking

Industry bodies are reporting the number of HGV drivers is stabilising

Since the government intervened, the sector has started to recover and industry bodies are reporting positively on the number of HGV drivers stabilising.

They indicate that the initiatives introduced by government and industry have started to yield results, showing that perceptions of the industry are changing as a result of government support and more people are looking to train and qualify as HGV drivers.

It comes as part of wider government efforts to help more people into work, since this is the best way to support families in the long-term while growing the economy to address the cost of living.

Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, said:

We took swift action and introduced 33 measures to support our vital freight sector throughout a global driver shortage and maintain our country’s supply chains. Those measures worked, with the number of lorry driver tests being taken on the rise, and the sector reporting driver numbers are stabilising.

We’ll continue to work with the industry to remove any potential barriers to a rewarding, successful career in logistics and boost driver numbers.

Loveday Ryder, DVSA Chief Executive, said:

We recognise the haulage industry keeps the wheels of our economy turning. I want to say thank you to all vocational training providers and our vocational driving examiners for supporting the changes.

It’s their hard work and commitment that has allowed us to offer an additional 11,197 tests and increase the number of drivers joining the industry.

This follows a working group co-chaired by the regulator involving a range of charity sector and other representatives. Addressing bullying and harassment, which should never be accepted in the charity sector, benefits from collective recognition of the contributions required from individual charities, wider sector leadership, the regulator, government, and other experts. The group focused on the discussion and clarification of those respective roles and responsibilities and exploring ways those involved can take action to address bullying and harassment.

The role of trustees

Trustees must recognise that there is simply no place for bullying and harassment within, or by, charities. Trustees have a central role to play to ensure their charity has clear policies, and that allegations are handled appropriately and in line with employment and other laws. Those concerned about bullying or harassment are encouraged to take their concerns directly to the charity or its trustees whenever this is appropriate, and trustees are responsible for ensuring they have processes in place to hear those concerns and address the matter.

The Commission’s safeguarding guidance sets out that charities with employees should have welfare, discipline and whistleblowing policies for staff, including clear policies and procedures on bullying and harassment.

Under the Commission’s serious incident reporting arrangements, charities should report the most serious actual or alleged incidents of bullying or harassment promptly for the regulator to assess. Workers and volunteers can also make reports to the Commission.

Intervention by the Commission

As a risk-based regulator focused on charity governance, the Commission prioritises involvement to address the highest risk of harm, for example where there are concerns that trustees have not addressed reported bullying or harassment that is widespread and systemic within a charity, or there are concerns about governance issues or potential mismanagement.

The Commission has a range of possible responses to such cases, from providing regulatory advice to trustees to the opening of a statutory inquiry. Its focus is on the proper governance of the charity, and it seeks to ensure that the charity’s trustees are responding to the incidents appropriately, including taking necessary steps to prevent further wrongdoing and harm.

It is not the Commission’s role to resolve individual employment issues. Employment matters should generally be raised with the charity through their grievance procedures, followed by action in the employment tribunals if necessary. Investigating alleged criminal offences is the responsibility of law enforcement agencies and reports relating to any threat to an individual’s safety should be shared with the police in the first instance, before notifying the Commission in due course – as the Commission is not a prosecuting authority.

The working group is continuing to meet and exploring further strands of work relating to charity leadership, what constitutes or contributes to bullying behaviour, as well as increasing visibility of existing resources.

Paul Latham, Director of Policy at the Charity Commission, said:

There is no place for bullying and harassment in society, and there is certainly no place for it in the charitable sector. In a sector grounded on kindness and generosity, this kind of culture is unacceptable.

I am grateful for the leadership shown by our sector group on this issue and am pleased that we have been working so collaboratively to better communicate the Commission’s role and underline the role played by individual charities and the wider sector.

We are clear that we expect charities to take action to prevent and deal with incidents, but that we will intervene where there are concerns that trustees are not complying with their responsibilities, including in relation to safeguarding, to protect charities and the wider charitable sector.

Jane Ide OBE, Chief Executive at ACEVO, said:

Bullying and harassment is unacceptable in any part of our sector and at any level of it. It is essential that we work collaboratively to establish a zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment and to ensure that everyone working in civil society, whether paid staff or volunteer, feels safe and respected in their work.

We welcome the focus from the Charity Commission on its role as our regulator in this context. The clarification provided today on serious incident reporting and the role the Commission will – and will not – play in those circumstances is a helpful step.

This is just one part of our sector’s response to the issue though.  We look forward to working alongside the Commission and our colleagues across civil society to continue to inform, educate and support our sector in creating a safe and inclusive culture for all.

Notes to Editors

1. The Commission’s reporting arrangements require trustees to promptly report serious incidents to the regulator. In an accompanying examples table, it cites ‘an internal investigation has established that there is a widespread culture of bullying within the charity’ as something that should be reported to it, whereas an isolated incident lower down the organisation, which has been dealt with by minor disciplinary action, does not typically require reporting.
2. The Commission continues to encourage charity workers and volunteers to report issues that could seriously harm: the people a charity helps, the charity’s staff or volunteers, services the charity provides, the charity’s assets and the charity’s reputation.
3. The Commission began working with sector representatives to clarify its regulatory role following a recommendation in a report published by ACEVO and the Centre for Mental Health in 2019: In Plain Sight. The report contains a range of recommendations for charity leaders on how to address risks of bullying and harassment.
4. Attendees at the working group were the Charity Commission, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, ACAS, ACEVO, Protect, The Diana Award, the Centre for Mental Health, NCVO, WCVA, UNISON and the Association of Chairs.
5. The Charity Commission is the independent, non-ministerial government department that registers and regulates charities in England and Wales. Its purpose is to ensure charity can thrive and inspire trust so that people can improve lives and strengthen society.