26/05/2011
Helen James
Over 300 people on driving tests, including those taking the exam and those examining, were injured during the process in Britain last year, new figures reveal.
Driving Standards Agency data shows stressed candidates verbally abused examiners 209 times, while five testers were physically attacked.
Autoglass, the windscreen repair company, got the statistics via a freedom of information request. They also show drivers who were not ready to take the test or made mistakes due to nerves committed more than a million dangerous or serious faults on tests.
There were 147 major injuries to the examiner or candidate which required medical attention from a GP or in hospital in 2010, the Driving Standards Agency figures show. On top of those, there were 192 minor injuries where the victims received basic first aid, treated themselves or did not need treatment.
Learner drivers were most likely to fail the practical driving test for poor observation at junctions (65,988 dangerous and 296,341 serious faults recorded) or bad use of mirrors (32,827 dangerous and 172,945 serious faults).
Autoglass managing director Matthew Mycock said: "Driving tests can be stressful occasions but these figures really are quite alarming. They beg the very real question of how many candidates are being entered before they are fully prepared. Of course people are going to make mistakes during the course of a test. But it is worrying that so many dangerous or serious errors are happening, not only from the point of view of candidates and examiners but also other road users and pedestrians."
