What are the best and worst cities in the UK to learn how to drive in?
Brits don’t have the best reputation when it comes to safe driving. Indeed, while most Brits themselves believe they are safe drivers, two-thirds admit to driving when tired, half to eating behind the wheel and 1 in 20 to calling or texting on a mobile.
This leads to a dangerous situation on the roads, particularly in busy cities, which means they are generally not the best places in the world to test the limits of your provisional insurance and learn to drive.
Of course, while it’s always preferable to learn in a quiet area, sometimes, city learning can be beneficial, particularly if the city is where you’ll be doing most of your driving once you’ve passed your test. But there are some cities that are safer than others and where the passing rates are higher than the rest of the UK.
The best UK cities for learning to drive
Official government statistics reveal that driving test pass rates increased during the pandemic to between 50% and 60% and in 2022, they sat at around 47.1%. This means roughly half of all testers are passing. But where are most of these passing tests being taken? It would appear largely outside of the major cities of the North and South and in the Northwest and Southwest of the UK.
Warrington – There is a 54% pass rate in this Northwestern city, with 55.2% passing on their first attempt. Interestingly, however, it has a much higher accident rate than the second-placed city of Bournemouth.
Bournemouth – The Southeastern seaside city has a 52.8% pass rate and a 52.3% first-time pass rate. It is also, however, the city with the fewest accidents per 100,000 learner drivers, with just 50 seen in 2022. That’s significantly lower than any other city in the country!
Bolton – 53% of learner drivers pass the first time when taking their tests in Bolton and 2.24% do so with zero faults. Interestingly, Bolton and Warrington are only a short drive from each other. Must be something in the water!
The worst UK cities for learning to drive
All three of the cities below have pass rates much lower than the national average, proving that the Midlands aren’t the ideal place to learn to drive.
Leeds – With an overall pass rate of just 34.7% and a first-time pass rate of 34.1%, Leeds sits at the bottom of the table when it comes to suitable places to learn to drive.
Luton – The jewel of the East has an overall past rate of 36.4%.
Birmingham – The second city in the UK has a pass rate of just 37.2% Perhaps it’s because it has more canals than it does roads?
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