Testing times for driving examiners

Attacks on examiners have increased 41% since 2002

Taking your driving test is a nerve wracking experience, but new figures suggest it can be just as unsettling for an increasing number of test examiners.

Verbal and physical assaults have been steadily rising over the last few years.

Breakfast made the discovery after making a request to the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) under the Freedom of Information Act.

This prompted a mini series from Breakfast about driving - watch all three reports from the links to the right of this page

Following our request to the DSA, Breakfast discovered:

The number of attacks on driving instructors (348 last year) has increased by 41% since 2002.

Around two million driving tests are taken each year, and approximately 57% of candidates fail

Dozens of driving test examiners are off sick after being assaulted by learner drivers furious at being failed.

The DSA employs almost 2000 examiners

Lack of protection

The greatest fear of examiners used to be a nervous candidate crashing the car - now they're more apprehensive about those being tested taking using them as a punch bag after being told they've failed their test.

Some test centres have stepped up security measures because of the potential threat from disgruntled would-be drivers.

The examiners' union says their members are not offered enough protection or support - and when they are attacked, are often left to take legal action against the aggressor on their own.

If a candidate does physically assault an examiner they can't legally be banned from taking another test.