BT Yahoo News - 16th April 2010

Learners based in London and South-east England need more attempts at the driving test to pass than in any other part of Britain, according to a new survey by the AA.

A total of 20,109 people responded to the survey, which revealed that Londoners sat the test on average 2.09 times, while those in the south east needed 2.11 tests, which is 5% worse than the UK average.

Simon Douglas, the AA Driving School Director, said: "Busy, complex roads in London and the south east appear to contribute to learners there finding it slightly more difficult."

Drivers in the east of England returned the best result, taking just 1.9 attempts to pass. They were closely followed by the North-East, Yorkshire and Humberside and the East Midlands.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is quoted as saying that those who have passed their test have had 45 hours of professional training and 22 hours of private practice - on average.

Douglas sums up the findings: "Many factors shape local pass rates. But wherever you live, professional tuition with a fully qualified Driving Instructor will give you the best possible head start towards passing your L-test and beyond."

The full league table is below:

East of England   1.87

Yorkshire and Humberside   1.91

North -east of Eng;land   1.91

East Midlands   1.92

Scotland   1.97

South-west of England   1.97

West Midlands   1.98

Wales    2.02

North-west of England   2.03

Northern Ireland   2.03

London   2.09

South-east of England   2.11