The majority of learner drivers in Swindon are passing their driving test on the first attempt according to the latest figures.

52 percent of would-be motorists passed their practical test at Swindon Test Centre on the first try in 2018-19 according to data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

The average first-time pass rate for centres across Great Britain is 47 percent.

Of the 2,106 people successful on the first try in Swindon test centre, 90 pupils had zero faults.

Overall, the centre conducted 7,921 tests between April 2018 and March this year.

Men performed strongest with 55 percent passing compared to 47 percent of women.

Learners taking the test can pass with up to 15 minor faults, which include not checking mirrors.

Under government plans to improve road safety, new drivers could be banned from travelling at night.

The rules, announced by the Department for Transport, restrict what motorists can do on the roads months after passing their test.

The move follows statistics showing one in five new drivers are involved in crashes within their first year behind the wheel.

Joshua Harris, director of road safety charity Brake, said: "Young drivers are involved in nearly a fifth of all fatal crashes on our roads, a deeply troubling figure hugely disproportionate to the number of young licence holders."

More robust licensing would give them the "necessary tools and knowledge" to drive safely, he added.

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Speaking earlier this year, former road safety minister Michael Ellis said: "We have some of the safest roads in the world but we are always looking at ways to make them safer.

"Getting a driving licence is exciting for young people, but it can also be daunting as you're allowed to drive on your own for the first time.

"We want to explore in greater detail how graduated driver licensing, or aspects of it, can help new drivers to stay safe and reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads."