Portsmouth revealed to be in top five UK spots for learner drivers - with learners in the city beating the national rate for first-time passes

Experts at Bill Plant Driving School have revealed the best UK areas for learner drivers, by looking at a range of factors, including locations with the most approved instructors, the most provisional licence holders, the least road accidents and congestion, as well as those with the best driving test pass rate.

And Portsmouth is in the top ten regions of the UK with the highest number of provisional driving licence holders in the country – and the highest number of driving instructors.

Across the city there are 242 approved driving instructors per 100,000 people, and between 2021-22 the average driving test pass rate was 52.6 per cent.

There have been 427 road accidents across the city throughout 2021.

A spokesman from Bill Plant Driving School said: ‘With 242 DVSA driving instructors per 100,000 of the city’s population and a 52.6 per cent pass rate, Portsmouth gives you a better than 50/50 chance to get your licence the first time around.’

Reading has been named as the UK location with the most approved driving instructors, with 286 instructors per 100,000 people in the Berkshire city.

Last year saw a Portsmouth-based driving instructor agency urgently call for more staff after a huge surge in bookings for prospective drivers.

Driving-Pro’s founder Liam Greaney said it has seen a huge increase in interest post-lockdown, with is firm receiving up to 300 enquiries a week.