The Driver and Vehicle Standards have recently published data proving that Clacton On Sea holds the best pass rate for learner drivers taking their first driving test.
With Clacton's pass rate being just above 50 per cent between 2017 and 2018, means that of the 1792 students that took their driving test in the past year, 911 were successful on the first attempt.
Following closely with a pass rate of 42.9 per cent was Chelmsford and then Colchester third with 39.1 per cent.
Mark Cole, chairman at the Colchester and District Driving Instructor’s Association, said it was "not a surprise" that Clacton On Sea had the highest pass rate. he strengthened this statement by suggesting that Clacton is "a lot smaller than Colchester" meaning that the routes and roads are easier to master and remember for the test.
He went on to say that "The downside to that is are only learning to pass a test as opposed to learning to drive, which is why I take my drivers in Clacton to Colchester and Ipswich.
“I want to take them to those places first to make sure I’m satisfied they are safe. If someone said they don’t like the roundabouts in Colchester and would rather drive in Clacton I would say no.”
Kieran Clarke from DVD's Learners Driving School stated that some of his students chose to take their test in Clacton On Sea due to the higher pass rate despite the fact they have learned to drive in Colchester. Clarke went on to say “However we prefer people who live in Colchester to take their test in their hometown. There are some awful country roads in Clacton.”
In December 2017, the driving test changed in terms of what was required to pass. This was a worry for students learning the new syllabus as it had never been tested before and there were two more manoeuvres to learn on top of mastering 'independent driving' by following a GPS satnav. One student Jake Deemer - Evans learnt with the intention of passing after the new syllabus came around. "It was worrying at first as there were no previous pass rates anywhere but once I knew what was expected of me and I got practicing with my Instructor Lewis, I was fine and felt much more confident."
Josephine Sheeka recently passed her driving test in December 2018 with the help and support of DVD's. The 82-year-old Grandmother stated she "wouldn't have been able to pass" the test without the support of DVD's Learners Driving School.