Bike tests on the up
Since the introduction of the EU third directive at the beginning of 2013, meaning young bikers have to take 2 tests to gain their full license, there has been a slump in the number of tests taken. Finally things are starting to recover with the numbers of tests taken rising in the last period.
The latest statistics taken from training schools show that between April and June this year 19,238 theory tests were taken compared to only 14,420 in 2013; an increase of 33.4 percent. There were 15,127 module 1 tests and 13,531 module 2 tests taken in the same part of the year. This increase is great news and means more youngsters are getting on despite the rule changes. The slump in part was put down to the rush to take a bike test before the new rules came in. With the numbers slowly rising it's good news for the industry but we still have a way to go to hit the numbers of before the rule changes came in.
Bike tests in numbers
- 2010-2011 - 34,484
- 2011-2012 - 39,926
- 2012-2013 - 44,889
- 2013-2014 - 30,453
The DVSA commented, "The third directive limited the engine size available to riders under the age of 24 at the date attempting a practical test. This led to a trough in tests for this age group for both theory and practical tests. The substantial increase in tests conducted in April to June 2014 reflects the ongoing recovery in test numbers following this trough and economic indicators are also improving, which could also influence the number of tests conducted."
13.10.2014 - MCE Insurance
