Under the new plans, the independent driving section of the test rise from 10 to 20 minutes. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) believes it will allow assessors to better judge a candidate's ability to manage different road conditions and "manage and prioritise distractions," which may include directions from a sat nav.

Because many drivers now automatically use the sat nav built into their car or assistive smartphone apps like Google Maps, the DVSA argues that "this change in driver behaviour should be reflected in the test." Instead of having to bring their own device, the candidate will use a pre-approved sat nav provided by an assessor that will be fixed to their car. They'll then be judged on their ability follow the directions provided, but won't be asked to actually program it.

Since April 2015, UK transport research body TRL has run a trial on the new test and found that learners are now spending more time on fast dual carriageways and using sat navs with their driving instructor when learning, which in turn made them more confident on the road. The public will now be invited to comment on whether they agree with the proposal ahead of the August 25th deadline.