She's not giving up just yet! Britain's 'worst learner driver' fails theory test for 113TH time (at a cost of £3,500)
- EXCLUSIVE: Woman, 30, who hit the headlines last year after failing theory test 110 times has failed a further three times, MailOnline has learned
- Even if she eventually passes exam, she still has practical to overcome
- New figures also show 40-year-old man has failed practical test 34 times
- And they reveal more than 400 tests have ended in crashes in past year
She was dubbed 'Britain's worst learner driver' last year after failing her theory test a whopping 110 times.
But the unidentified woman is not giving up just yet, according to new figures obtained by MailOnline.
Incredibly, the 30-year-old, from Southwark, south-east London, has failed the test a further three times - taking her total number of unsuccessful attempts to a record 113.
Her determination has cost her £3,500.
And even if the woman eventually manages to prove that she knows the rules and dangers of the road by passing the test, she still has her practical driving exam to overcome.
The driving theory test comprises two parts: Multiple-choice questions and a hazard perception exam. Nationally, it has an average pass rate of 51.6 per cent.
Last October, the price of the test was lowered from £31 a time to £25.
This means the female learner - who took her last three tests in 2014 - has spent a minimum of £3,485 and up to £3,503 trying to pass it.
Amazingly, if she had started sitting the exam at the minimum driving age of 17, she would have sat it more than eight times a year for the past 13 years.
Although no other learner has come close to the woman's astonishing number of attempts to achieve her driving theory certificate, several seem to be trying their best.
A 30-year-old man from Peterborough has failed the theory test 86 times, while a 41-year-old learner from Birmingham was likely ecstatic after passing on his 80th attempt.
A 27-year-old man from Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, Wales, and a 39-year-old man from London have both failed their 66th attempts to pass the exam this year.
And a 47-year-old male learner from Reading has struggled through 61 tests without any luck.
Although men are said to be around six per cent more likely to pass the practical driving test than females, they are six per cent less likely to gain their theory certificate than the opposite sex.
The new figures were obtained by MailOnline following a Freedom of Information request to the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
They also show that even when learners manage to pass the theory test, some still struggle to master the practical exam – and spend a fortune attempting to do so.
For example, one middle-aged man from Stoke-on-Trent forked out at least £2,294 sitting the practical driving test a record 36 times before, thankfully, passing on his 37th attempt.
At that expense, the unidentified 40-year-old could have bought a decent second-hand car.
Meanwhile, a 22-year-old man was slightly more successful, passing on his 36th attempt at a test centre in Chelmsford, Essex. A woman, 44, from Birmingham also succeeded on her 36th drive.
The practical driving test, which lasts about 40 minutes, costs £62 to take on a weekday or £75 on an evening, weekend or bank holiday. It is generally considered more difficult than the theory test.
Another set of figures, also obtained by MailOnline, shows that the highest number of faults to have occurred in the exam by one learner (since records began in January 2008) is a massive 55.
Unbelievably, the 47-year-old man, from London, scored 48 driver faults, five serious faults, and two dangerous faults while attempting to pass the test – resulting in a definitive fail.
The DVSA describes a driver fault as 'not potentially dangerous, but if you make the same fault throughout your test it could become a serious fault'; a serious fault as 'potentially dangerous'; and a dangerous fault as 'involves actual danger to you, the examiner, the public or property'.
Learners must obtain 15 or fewer driver faults - and no serious or dangerous faults - to pass.
The figures show a 17-year-old man, from Stevenage, achieved 45 driver faults, five serious faults and one dangerous fault in his exam, which was likely his first attempt to gain a driving licence.
Meanwhile, a 31-year-old male scored 51 faults in total (43 driver, six serious, two dangerous).
The highest number of serious faults by one learner is 13 (committed by a 26-year-old woman from Manchester), while the top number of dangerous faults is six (a 39-year-old woman from Newport).
In relation to the newly-released figures, a DVSA spokesman told MailOnline: 'It's essential that all drivers demonstrate they have the right skills, knowledge and attitude to drive safely.
'The driver testing and training regime tests candidates' ability to drive safely and responsibly, as well as making sure they know the theory behind safe driving.'
A third set of figures seen by MailOnline reveals that more than 400 practical driving tests have ended in crashes in the past year. A huge 426 collisions were recorded from last April to March.
However, this was still fewer than the 546 the year earlier and the 647 in 2012/13.
The DVSA could not disclose more information about the crashes.
CR :: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3059897/She-s-not-giving-just-Britain-s-worst-learner-driver-fails-theory-test-113TH-time-cost-3-500.html
