Female learners aged 30 are 25% less likely to pass first time, recent figures show, prompting concern about format of assessment

Women are far more likely to fail their driving tests than men, according to government figures, despite the fact that male drivers are far more likely to go on to be involved in traffic accidents.

According to 2014-15 government statistics, a female 17-year-old driving test candidate was 7% less likely to be passed on her first attempt than a male candidate of the same age. This figure more than doubled to 15% for those taking their first test at the age of 20, and increased to 25% at 30, 41% at 35, and 50% at the age of 50. Statistics showing pass rates at second and later attempts reflect a similar pattern.

A spokesman for the AA said: “[If you were to say there was something wrong with the test] that would probably be a sage observation. Young men tend to deal with the mechanics of driving extremely well but as soon as they have passed the test they are more likely to push the car. Women seem to have a better appreciation of risk than young men do.”

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Angela Clarke, 35, who passed third time when she was 18, said: “There must be something wrong with the test and the way it is administered, because there’s no other way there could be such a bias towards one gender passing. The casual sexism that women are worse drivers than men is pretty prevalent. If you look at the laddish approach of shows such as Top Gear you have to recognise that it’s part of our culture.”

Statistics indicate there were 113,066 male drivers involved in accidents in 2014, compared with 69,245 female drivers. “Accidents involving young men tend to be more catastrophic and to involve other people,” the AA spokesman said.

In 2013 it became illegal under EU rules to offer cheaper car insurance to women purely on the grounds of their gender, although the AA said new ways of distinguishing between safe and dangerous drivers continued to favour women.

“What has replaced women-only insurance policies is telematics, which involves an electrical device wired into your car,” the spokesman said. “It can discern cornering forces, accelerating forces and braking forces, and those who drive well can reduce their premiums.”

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) show that 1,395 of the driving test examiners in England and Wales are men, while just 381 are women.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The DVSA says that all driving test candidates are assessed to the same standard. Photograph: Simon Clay/Alamy

Frances Robinson, a 34-year-old Londoner who will be taking her third test in December, said: “I find the whole thing artificial. What was weird for me was that the first time I was failed for being too aggressive and the second for being too timid. It’s very stressful.

“I’ll be angry, though, if I find out I’ve been properly discriminated against. I know I can drive: I’ve had 30 hours of lessons. And it’s not an insignificant amount of money I’ve thrown at this.”

A block of 10 lessons in the south of England costs about £290; the test itself £62 and the theory test £23. Fifty-four per cent of women pass their theory test on any given attempt, compared with 48% of men, according to the DVSA.

A spokesman for the agency said: “All candidates are assessed to the same standard, whether male or female, and the result of their test is entirely dependent on their performance on the day.”

A spokesperson for the Women’s Equality party said: “Driving is a way that women can designate their independence and we know that, once qualified, women drive much more safely than men. It is of real concern that there are barriers in the way of women having a fair chance of passing their test.”