SHOULD WE CHANGE THE WAY WE LEARN TO DRIVE?

Traditionally pre-covid and the long wait for driving tests pupils would start their driver training and then around 3 months into their lessons would book a driving test. This was fine. The wait for tests was still anything between 3-6 months but generally after a little work online the student or instructor was able to find a driving test. If the instructor was able to plan ahead they may even have a date held they could allocate to the student. Good instructors use a system called Online Booking System (OBS) - I know hardly original but its what we call it. Its rather like the back door into the system. The same one the call center uses. Post-Covid we have a problem. The DVSA closed their doors for around 12 months. Hence why we have a back log of some 750,000 driving tests. Its been suggested that due to retirements and lack of weekend working the backlog is greater now than when we returned to work. The DVSA have also changed the way instructors work. We are now accountable for the students we present for test. I'm not suggesting instructors were putting students in for test before they were ready, but just imagine. You have that 50/50 student and to avoid a difficult discussion you would perhaps allow someone to sit a test when not ready. Students are safe, but lack the ability to see the test till the end. Those days have gone, and many instructors are refusing to take on students with tests already booked. What needs to change? There are a few options. You could start to learn your theory in advance, and whilst this is a good thing its probably not practical for many. Afterall the motivation at 15/16 is probably not there. The other option is that students continue to take lessons along side their practical driving lessons. The whole period needs to be extended and the 1st Time Pass needs to be made the 1st option not the possible option. This may mean starting lessons then coming back into your training later. Or taking driver training seriously completing around 100 hours of training. What do you feel is the answer to the long wait for tests which is not going away anytime soon?