Is It Time for a Driving Knowledge Check-Up?

That familiar joke often crops up in conversation: “I'd never pass my driving test again!” While delivered with a chuckle, the underlying admission is serious: we have drivers on the road who acknowledge their skills don't meet the standard required to pass a current driving test.

It’s easy to critique others’ driving, but how often do we consider if others are critiquing ours? We all like to think our driving is safe and up to standard, but is that really the case? The rules and priorities we learned when we first passed our tests may be vastly different from today's.

The only time a UK driver is currently required to take their test again is after a court-issued ban. We are required to renew our licence every ten years, but this is merely an administrative task involving a form and perhaps a new photo. 

This is where the gap lies.

Closing the Knowledge Gap, Imagine a scenario where licence renewal includes a simple knowledge test. This wouldn't be a full practical test, but a way to prove that our understanding of road rules is still at the required level.

This test could focus on new additions to the Highway Code—rules that many drivers haven't looked at since their learner days. It could also cover crucial safety issues identified by key agencies like the police or the Highway Agency patrols.

Implementing such a measure would immediately close the knowledge gap between a driver who passed thirty years ago and one who passed yesterday. It would compel us all to take changes to the Highway Code more seriously and ensure we maintain the same level of understanding we had on the day we first passed.

The ultimate benefit is a safer road network across the UK, leading to a reduction in daily accidents and misunderstandings. It’s time we moved beyond the joke and considered a mechanism to ensure every driver on the road is operating with up-to-date knowledge. A ten-year licence renewal should be a commitment to safety, not just a photo change.

Written by me, Richard Oldroyd Edited by Google Gemini. 28 / 11 / 2025