HC Deb 10 February 1998 vol 306 c118W
Dr. Cable

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the percentage failure rate in 1997 for car driving tests; and of the total failed, what percentage were attributed in whole or part to(a) speeding and (b) driving too slowly. [27475]

Ms Glenda Jackson

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 21 January 1998,Official Report, column 549. Statistics for overall pass/fail rates for the remainder of 1997 will not be available until March.

An analysis of faults committed on a sample of 420,000 tests conducted between 1 June 1997 and 31 January 1998 shows that inappropriate use of speed was wholly or partly the reason for a candidate being failed 0.5 per cent. of tests. The computerised fault analysis system does not record whether a candidate was assessed as driving too quickly or too slowly.