In this opinion piece, Sanjib Bhattacharjee BEM outlines why the growing backlog of driving tests is creating significant challenges for learner drivers and future instructors.
Sanjib is a driving instructor trainer from London, who was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) earlier this year.
The growing backlog of driving tests is creating significant challenges for learner drivers and future instructors, impacting their mental health, financial stability, and career progression.
With waiting times stretching to 24 weeks at many test centres, aspiring motorists are left frustrated, uncertain, and unable to move forward in their journey towards obtaining a licence.
As a driving instructor trainer, teacher trainer, and mentor at Britain’s oldest and one of the largest and most well-known motoring organisations, BSM and AA, I have seen firsthand how these delays affect not just learners but also the professionals responsible for training them. The crisis has resulted in over 600,000 pending test bookings, forcing learners into an extended waiting period that comes with financial burdens and mounting stress.
Many trainee instructors are facing disruptions with their Part 2 test dates, which have been rescheduled or relocated to different test centres by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). This unpredictability is preventing new instructors from progressing in their careers, worsening the existing shortage of qualified trainers and contributing to a deeper backlog. The situation has placed trainers in a difficult position, where financial uncertainty, professional instability, and job dissatisfaction have become common concerns.
Adding to this challenge, many trainees are still waiting for their final ADI Part 3 test, with most of them put on indefinite hold. Some risk running out of their two-year qualification period, meaning they may lose their chance to complete the certification process and become fully qualified instructors. This limitation threatens to further strain the availability of experienced trainers in the future, ultimately exacerbating the delays that learners are currently facing.
Beyond its effect on driving instructors, the prolonged wait for test dates is fostering negative behavioural changes among young learners. With frustration growing, some individuals are resorting to bargaining or seeking backdoor methods to secure tests—practices that may violate regulations and ethical standards. If left unchecked, this mindset could extend beyond the driving industry, reinforcing attitudes that disregard rules and fair procedures. I urge learner drivers to remain patient and follow legitimate steps to obtain their licences rather than attempting shortcuts that could compromise their integrity.
The delays began during the COVID-19 pandemic, when test centres were forced to close, causing an overwhelming surge in demand. Although the government has attempted to reduce waiting times, the DVSA continues to struggle with examiner shortages, a primary factor contributing to the ongoing crisis. I believe that examiner salaries may not be sufficient to attract and retain professionals in this critical role. Raising wages and improving employment conditions could encourage more individuals to step forward as examiners, ultimately reducing the bottleneck in driving tests.
While government initiatives aim to recruit more examiners and provide 10,000 extra test slots per month, these measures may not be enough to resolve the issue swiftly. Until more effective solutions are introduced, aspiring motorists and instructors will continue to face overwhelming uncertainty, financial hardship, and setbacks in their professional journeys.
Beyond the immediate impact on learner drivers and instructors, this crisis threatens Britain’s road safety. The UK consistently ranks among the safest driving nations, but instructor shortages and compromised training standards could weaken its standing. The lack of routine standards checks for approved driving instructors further raises concerns about teaching quality, potentially affecting driver competency in the long run.
These delays are creating a cycle that affects everyone on the road – from learners struggling to obtain their licence to instructors unable to progress and trainers facing career uncertainty. Without urgent intervention, the consequences will extend well beyond the test centres, impacting the broader driving community for years to come.
Points very well made; thank you. I wonder if these consequential effects have been quantified, including possible increase in KSIs and cost to NHS. Qualitative attitudes to government are commonly measured; it would be good to hear if DVSA’s current predicament has had a discernible effect on drivers’ performance or expectations. I imagine high churn among PDIs/ADIs due to more uncertainty deters people from becoming instructor trainers but those ripples haven’t yet reached the shoreline.
Tim Clayton, BIRMINGHAM
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It’s a fair point you make and it’s well made. At the heart of the matter is fairness. If examiners are paid fairly, the problems with waiting times will come to an eventual conclusion.
Gary Gough-Pugh, Worcester
+1