Recent DVLA statistics have revealed that Cardigan has as one of the worst driving test pass rates in the whole of Wales.

The figures for 2022 and 2023 confirm that just under 50 per cent of all people sitting driving tests in the town failed, with the overall pass rate standing at just 50.4%.

Top marks for the corresponding period go to Aberystwyth which raced through to Wales' top position with a 65 per cent pass rate. Abergavenny was second with 61.7 per cent.

Bottom of the list was Newport, Gwent, which crawled in with a meagre 47.4 per cent pass rate followed by Bala (49.2 per cent) and then Cardigan, 50.4 per cent.

A major factor in the stagnant pass rate could be the rising cost of driving lessons with learner drivers having to fork out up to £1,575 for tuition.

The average driving lesson currently costs around £35 an hour, with learners needing around 45 hours of professional instruction to pass their tests.

Now, in a bid to improve the figures, rule changes are being introduced which will make it more difficult for ‘unprepared’ learners to take a test before they are ready.

With the new changes, if learner drivers need to retake their test, they will have to wait 28 days, rather than the current 10 days, to book their new test date.

The rule change is designed to encourage learners to feel ready before taking a driving test, as they won’t be able to repeat it quite so soon after failing. 

This will subsequently give them adequate time to prepare before retaking their test.

The rule change does not yet have the green light, but it highlights the ongoing concerns around pass rates across the whole of the UK.

“The pressure to pass is higher than ever before, and these results show that many learners are still failing their tests each year, suggesting that many learners are under-prepared,” said James Armstrong, chair of Veygo which is the organisation that released the data.

“We’re all feeling the pinch, so it’s understandable that learners might be rushing into their tests.

“We’re hopeful that the changes to driving tests will give learner drivers more time to prepare for retakes, reduce the likelihood of repeated failures and ease the pressure on our test centres across the country.”