UK Driving News This Week: Tighter Test Transfers, Missed Tests and Eye Test Plans (12 June 2026)

Welcome to our first weekly round-up of UK driving news. Each week we will pull together what has changed, what is being proposed, and what it means for learners and instructors, in one place. This week: the latest stage of the DVSA booking shake-up came into force, new figures revealed how many test slots are going to waste, and the government's plans for older driver eye tests took shape.

Test transfers now limited to your three nearest centres

The final stage of this spring's booking reforms arrived on Tuesday 9 June. Learners who want to move an existing practical test can now only transfer it to one of the three test centres closest to them. Until this week, a booking could be moved to any centre in the country with availability, which is exactly how slot-hoarding services made their money: book anywhere, then swap into a desirable centre later.

The change completes a three-part tightening that began on 31 March, when the number of allowed booking changes was cut from six to two, and continued on 12 May, when it became illegal for anyone other than the learner, including instructors and booking services, to book or manage a test. We covered what that means for instructors in detail in last week's piece on the DVSA test booking changes.

If you are a learner with a test already booked, the practical advice is simple: think carefully before moving it. You have two changes at most, and only three centres to choose from.

More than 64,500 test appointments missed

Figures published alongside the new rules revealed that more than 64,500 driving test appointments were missed over the past year. At a time when learners in much of England are waiting more than five months for a slot, tens of thousands of appointments went unused because candidates simply did not turn up.

The DVSA hopes the new booking rules will help, on the logic that a learner who books and manages their own test is more invested in the date than one whose slot was grabbed by a third party weeks before they were ready. Missed tests are not a victimless habit: every empty seat is a slot another learner queued months for.

Examiner numbers reach an eight-year high, but waits stay long

There was some quietly positive news on capacity. As of April 2026, the DVSA employed 1,604 full-time equivalent driving examiners, the highest figure since March 2018. Recruitment has been the agency's biggest headache for years, with a £5,000 retention payment introduced this year to stop experienced examiners leaving.

The queue itself remains stubborn. Average car test waiting times in April 2026 stood at 22.7 weeks in England and 22.9 weeks in Scotland, with Wales noticeably better at 17.3 weeks. Rural and suburban centres often have far shorter waits than the big city centres, which is worth knowing now that transfers are restricted to your three nearest options: where you live, and which centres count as nearest, matters more than it did a fortnight ago.

Compulsory eye tests for over-70s move closer

Away from testing, the government's Road Safety Strategy, published in January, continues to generate concrete proposals. The headline measure under consultation is compulsory eyesight testing for drivers aged 70 and over, who would need to prove their vision meets the standard every three years when they renew their licence, rather than simply declaring it as they do now. Ministers are also developing options for cognitive testing of older drivers.

The strategy sets a target of cutting deaths and serious injuries on UK roads by 65 percent by 2035, and further consultations are expected through 2026. For most learners and instructors the direct impact is limited for now, but it signals a government willing to revisit parts of the licensing system that have not changed in decades.

Graduated licensing begins in Northern Ireland this October

Northern Ireland will introduce its Graduated Driver Licensing scheme in October 2026, the first of its kind in the UK. New drivers there will face restrictions in their first months on the road, including:

• a mandatory minimum learning period of six months before taking the practical test

• night-time driving restrictions for the first six months after passing

• limits on carrying young passengers for newly qualified young drivers

The government has said it is not currently planning graduated licensing for England, Scotland and Wales, but that it will keep the position under review. Road safety groups will be watching the Northern Ireland scheme closely, and so will anyone teaching new drivers: if it measurably cuts young driver casualties, pressure to extend it across the UK will grow.

What this week means for you

For learners, the message of the week is that your test booking is now firmly your responsibility, and it is less flexible than it used to be. Book when you are ready rather than booking early and hoping, because changes are limited and transfers are local. Knowing you are ready is the hard part, which is where structured practice helps: Clutch scores every practice drive against the DVSA's own competency standards, so you can see whether your mirror checks, junctions and control are at test standard before you commit one of your two changes.

For instructors, the week confirms the direction of travel. The booking system now runs through your pupils, examiner capacity is slowly improving, and the regulatory conversation is shifting towards readiness and risk, from eye tests to graduated licensing. Evidence of pupil progress is becoming the instructor's strongest tool.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still move my driving test to a centre with a shorter queue?

Only if it is one of your three nearest centres, and only if you have changes left. Since 31 March you get two changes per booking, and since 9 June transfers are limited to your three closest test centres.

Do the new eye test rules affect learner drivers?

No. The proposal under consultation applies to drivers aged 70 and over at licence renewal. Learners still take the standard number plate reading check at the start of the practical test.

Will graduated licensing come to England, Scotland or Wales?

Not yet. The scheme starting in October 2026 applies to Northern Ireland only. The government has said it has no current plans for the rest of the UK but will keep the question under review.

Are driving test waiting times getting better?

Slowly. Examiner numbers are at their highest since 2018, but average waits in April 2026 were still around 22 to 23 weeks in England and Scotland. Wales, at about 17 weeks, shows what a shorter queue looks like.

Want to be genuinely test-ready before you book? Clutch coaches you through every practice drive and scores it against DVSA standards, free at learnwithclutch.com.