Driving test failure rates rise in 2024, almost half of applicants fail

Nearly half of all applicants have failed their driving test in 2024, information tabled in parliament shows.

Transport Minister Chris Bonnet tabled the information in the House in reply to a parliamentary question by Opposition MP Mark Anthony Sammut.

Tests for the category B licence, the one required to drive cars, saw a failure rate of 48%. The rate has seen year on year increases since 2022, when 40% failed their driving test. 44% failed their test in 2023.

Category D licences, which are required for passenger vans, registered the highest failure rate, with 56% of applicants failing. This marks a significant jump from 46% in 2023 and 39% in 2022.

Category A licences (motorcycles) also faced more failures, with 42% failing in 2024, compared to 40% in 2023 and 32% in 2022.

Category C, for trucks and large vans, had the lowest failure rate at 38% in 2024, though this too increased from 33% in 2023 and 24% in 2022.