New data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) for August 2026 highlights significant regional disparities in waiting times for driving tests across the UK. Analysis by car insurance specialists Zego reveals that the proportion of learner drivers waiting more than five months after booking their test varies considerably depending on location.
In the West Midlands, Birmingham (Kingstanding) recorded the highest percentage, with 50.4% of learners waiting over five months for their driving test. Lichfield followed closely, where 49.4% of learners experienced waits exceeding 21 weeks. Across the top nine test centres in the region with the longest delays, an average of 44.5% of learners waited over five months, meaning more than two in five faced extended waiting periods.
Notably, Birmingham (Kingstanding)’s figure was 10.9 percentage points higher than Telford, which had the lowest proportion among these locations, at 39.5%.
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DVSA chief executive Beverley Warmington acknowledged the ongoing difficulties, stating: “I’m not going to pretend this can be fixed overnight. Waiting times remain too long in many parts of Great Britain. But DVSA is working hard to improve the situation as quickly as possible.”
Commenting on the impact of these delays, Sten Saar, CEO and Co-founder of Zego, said: “The hidden cost of a long driving test wait is the need to remain test-ready during the wait. Learners often have to pay for extra lessons to maintain their skills, and a failed test may lead to having to start the process again, potentially facing another lengthy wait.”
He added that this ongoing cycle of lessons, waiting, and retesting can significantly increase the overall cost of becoming a driver even before owning a car. Saar emphasised how the postcode lottery affects not only costs but also the timeline of getting on the road, with young people often delayed in acquiring their first vehicle and organising insurance. Given that the expense of becoming a driver is already a major concern, additional months of waiting can make the transition more costly and harder to manage.