17/10/11
By Stephanie Gonzalez
One in 10 motorists believe they would fail their driving test if they had to take it again, with younger drivers the least confident of all, a survey shows.
Overall, 9 per cent of the 16,961 AA members questioned by Populus said they were "quite likely" to fail, with 2 per cent admitting they were "very likely" to fail.
Amongst drivers aged 18-24, as many as 15 per cent agreed with one of these two options, compared with 9 per cent of over-65s.
Regionally, motorists in the Tyne Tees area had least confidence in their driving skills, with 13 per cent fearing they would fail a re-test, while Londoners had the most confidence, with only 9 per cent saying they would expect to fail.
Nearly a third of men said they were "very likely" to pass a re-sit of their driving test, compared with less than a quarter of women.
More than half of those surveyed said they were "quite likely" to pass, with another quarter expressing full confidence in their abilities, saying they were "very likely" to pass.
Edmund King, president of the AA , said: "It is alarming to think more than three million drivers who have passed their test may not be safe on the roads due to a lack of confidence or competence to such a degree they don't think they would pass their driving test.
"It is particularly worrying so many young drivers think they would not pass a re-test, when it can't have been long since they took their test.
"Driving is a skill for life and, although it is easy to let bad habits form after your test, drivers should make sure their skills are kept polished."
