Five women from the small West Yorkshire town of Heckmondwike are, according to new figures released by the Driving Standards Agency, the worst female learner drivers in the whole of the UK.
The average pass rate in the town of just 39.8 per cent is well below the national average of 47.1 per cent; it could be attributed to the narrow rural roads and cracked tarmac surfaces, while many test routes feature what is said to be the most dangerous roundabout in West Yorkshire.
Although the population of the town is only 17,000, the five unnamed ladies are among the top 20 worst learner drivers in the UK – they have taken a quite incredible 158 practical tests between them, amounting to nearly £10,000.
The women are aged between 35 and 48, and are not the first from the town to have difficulty passing their tests; in recent years one woman from Heckmondwike took 34 attempts to secure her pink license, while it was 30th time lucky for another.
The figures also revealed that men can have just as much trouble passing, with a 40-year-old man from Stoke passing on his 37th attempt; it cost him a whopping £2,294.
Head of BSM Driving School, Mike Peacock, had this to say: "It seems unusual that Heckmondwike has proved so troublesome for these learners, but there are many factors that can influence someone's success at their driving test.
"In particular, nerves can play a big part in how well someone performs, which may well be the case for those who have made serial attempts."
Click here to sign up for our monthly newsletter
