The Automobile Association (AA) has recommended that drivers who pass their practical driving test in an automatic vehicle should be eligible to drive manual cars after completing a one-hour conversion course. Edmund King, president of the motoring services organization, argued that the current requirement to pass a separate manual driving test is unnecessary and causes undue delays for drivers who want to switch to manual vehicles.

Under current rules, individuals who pass their driving test in an automatic car are only licensed to drive automatics. If they wish to operate a manual transmission vehicle later—whether for employment, hiring, or personal reasons—they must pass an additional manual driving test. However, the wait times for booking a manual test have increased sharply in recent years. According to Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) data, the average waiting period for a driving test in May stood at nearly 22 weeks, a significant rise from the roughly five-week wait time recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in February 2020.

The shift toward automatic vehicles among learner drivers is also notable. DVSA figures show that automatic tests accounted for 29.4% of all driving tests conducted in the last financial year in Britain, a marked increase from about 4% in 2007-08.

Despite the AA’s proposal, the Department for Transport maintains that a manual driving test remains essential for safety reasons. A spokesperson from the department stated that drivers must successfully complete a manual test to be permitted to drive manual transmission vehicles, and there are no plans to alter this policy.

The debate underscores ongoing challenges in managing driving test demand amid changing learner preferences and vehicle technology, with safety considerations continuing to play a central role in regulatory decisions.