Learner drivers face a tough task if they want to pass their test in Glasgow but if they travel to the Highlands they stand a far better chance of gaining their licence.
Shieldhall and Anniesland in Glasgow have the lowest pass rates for driving tests in Scotland with only four in 10 passing their tests.
However in the quiet Highland village of Golspie, on the east coast of Sutherland, eight out of 10 can throw their L-plates in the bin after taking their practical test.
The pass rate for Golspie is the highest in the UK, according to a survey carried out by financial services comparison website Confused.com.
Instructor Craig Caunter, 31, has just set up his new driving school in his home village of Lairg, in Sutherland, which is also a test centre.
He said: “I certainly subscribe to the idea it is any easier to learn in quiet locations. We start in Lairg, where the population is under 1,000 but then I will take my learners down to Tain, where there is a particularly bad junction coming out on to the A9. Then when they are nearing their test I will take them to Inverness, so they get experience of driving in a city as well.”
Paula Soutar runs the Highlander Driving School, in Brora, less than six miles from Golspie where most of her pupils sit their test, and said pupils still had to work hard to pass their test in the Highlands.
She said: “We have the A9 going through the centre of the Golspie. We have crossings, bay parking, difficult reversing. By no means is it easy.
“I used to teach driving in a big town in Wiltshire. Sometimes it is easier the bigger the place you are in, because you have someone else to follow; somebody else to take prompts from. Perhaps the quieter it is, the more decisions you have to take yourself.”
A new driving test will come into force at the end of the year. The survey reveals more than a third (37 per cent) of drivers in Scotland say the new test must go further to improve road safety.
Across the UK, the survey found that drivers were calling for motorway driving (73 per cent) and night driving (66 per cent) to be introduced.
Meanwhile 46 per cent welcome introduction of the sat nav, while a further half criticise the new “dangerous” reversing manoeuvre – a learner will be asked to pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for two car lengths and then rejoin the traffic.
Amanda Stretton, motoring editor at Confused.com, said: “To make the roads safer, drivers believe more practical changes should have been included in the new updates.
“To help improve the quality of driving on our roads, there is a valid argument that new drivers should be taught general road etiquette and how to treat fellow drivers. This could help to minimise stress levels, road rage, and the risk of accidents, providing all drivers an easy ride.”
Mr Caunter believes the changes will help improve the skills of his pupils.
“I think the changes coming to the test in December make sense. They incorporate a lot of things drivers do anyway, but have not been taught to do. Many cars come with sat nav so they should learn how to operate that while driving.
“I don’t see the new requirement to reverse on the right hand side of the road as potentially dangerous. Not if it is taught properly, in a safe environment.”
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here