The Daily Mail must have been running short of news judging by this article.
I wrote about the same story back in July. That was based on an article in This is Plymouth (a local online newspaper), which in turn was spawned by some newly-released DSA figures about test centre pass rates. I have put those pass rates on this site.
The Mail merrily plagiarises the Plymouth story, prattling on about how Mallaig is the “best place” to take your test because the pass rate is so high. Of course, it then has to mention Wanstead and Bradford for being the worst.
The Mail adds its own spin, by quoting a Wanstead driving instructor, who claims:
The road layout can be quite tricky.
Drivers can be aggressive, they go for gaps that aren’t there, overtake and generally take no prisoners.
But there is another issue that people aren’t considering. These places with low pass rates also tend to have a higher proportion of candidates who take their tests before they are ready. They want to spend as little as possible, or are convinced that their driving is already top-notch and they’ll pass with ease first time.
The driving test isn’t really that hard, and frighteningly many do pass – even though they aren’t necessarily good drivers. Worse still, these same low-pass areas are also ones where people are more likely to drive uninsured, or are deprived in a way that other forms of crime are more common. With that as a baseline, is it any wonder that “drivers can be aggressive”?
So the ADI’s quote above becomes self-fulfilling. You put crap on the roads, it drives badly and makes it difficult for everyone else.