Some people thinking of taking driving lessons might consider the winter months a bad time to do it. With the possibility of poor weather, slippery roads and potholes, this is a period in the year when conditions on the roads are far from optimal. 

However, that may actually make this a good time of year for learning, because drivers who can nurture the skills needed to cope with winter driving will build up a higher level of aptitude than those dealing with easier conditions in spring and summer. This will make them more likely to pass.

Evidence for this has come from the insurance firm Compare the Market, which found that the highest pass rate was in February at 51.4 per cent. April was second at 50.9 per cent and March third at 50.4 per cent. 

By contrast with those taking lessons early in the year, those learning in summer and early autumn appear to be at a disadvantage, with the lowest pass rates being in November and December, which both had a pass rate of 46.8 per cent.

Driving instructor Gary Warrington, who has partnered with Compare the Market, said the low November and December pass rates “could be down to the fact that light conditions can vary considerably during the winter months, along with poorer road conditions such as sleet, ice, wet leaves and mud”.

The survey also showed that the most common reasons for failing a test were a lack of observations at junctions, failure to use mirrors correctly and a lack of control when steering.

If you should be unsuccessful, that does not mean you should just give up. Data produced by the Department of Transport last year showed that in the 12 months to the end of March 2022, just over 50,000 people took a test for the sixth time or more. Of these, the pass rate was 40 per cent.

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said this showed that for some, the investment was “worth the money, time and energy involved in battling on to secure their licence,” although for others it indicated that driving “might not be the thing for some people”.