IT'S BEEN ONE L OF A RIDE

T is now 90 years since driving tests became compulsory. Compulsory testing was brought in on June 1, 1935 for all drivers and riders who started driving on or after April 1, 1934. Prior to this, testing had been voluntary.

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One of the reasons for introducing the compulsory test was to cut the number of deaths on the roads. In 1934, a year before it was introduced, there were just 1.5 million cars in the UK but more than 7,000 people were killed on the roads. Within a year of the test being established the number of deaths had fallen by 1,000.

Legislation for compulsory testing was introduced for all new drivers with the Road Traffic Act 1934. The test was initially voluntary to avoid a rush of candidates until June 1, 1935 when all people who had started to drive on or after April 1, 1934 needed to have passed the test.

The driving licence itself had been introduced by the Motor Car Act 1903 but no test was required. The intention was purely to identify vehicles and their drivers.

The Road Traffic Act 1930 introduced age restrictions and a test for disabled drivers; this was the first formal driving test in the UK. These licences were only valid for one year from the date of issue.

Since 1935, testing has only been suspended for war and pandemic.

It was suspended during the Second World War and again during the Suez Crisis in 1956 to allow examiners to help to administer petrol rations.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, testing was also suspended; in England between March and July 2020 and January and April 2021; in Wales, between March and August 2020 and January and April 2021; in Scotland, between March 2020 and May 2021; and in Northern Ireland between March 2020 and April 2021. Key workers were still allowed to take tests if they had submitted the correct paperwork.

There have been numerous changes to the practical driving test since it became compulsory 90 years ago.

In 1935 the test took 30 minutes and the pass rate was 63%; now it comprises 40 minutes of driving and 80 minutes of theory test - and the pass rate is around 50%.