Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been urged to approve a one-hour conversion course that would allow automatic-only drivers to legally drive manual cars. The proposal, from AA president Edmund King, is designed to end the frustration of thousands of motorists who face long waits for a manual driving test.
Mr King, speaking to the Press Association, said the current system is unfair. “Most drivers of automatic cars quickly develop good road skills, so it doesn’t make sense to force them to spend months overcoming the driving test backlog just to borrow a manual car,” he said.
The AA’s call has resonance because of the sheer number of people affected. Official estimates indicate that 1.1 million people in Great Britain hold automatic-only driving licences, approximately 2.7% of all qualified drivers. This figure is likely to grow as automatic and electric vehicles become more popular, with many learner drivers now choosing to take their test in an automatic car.
Having an automatic-only licence can be a real limitation. While many modern cars, particularly electric vehicles, are automatic, there are still millions of manual cars on UK roads. Drivers with automatic-only licences may find themselves unable to borrow a car from a friend or use a hire vehicle in an emergency, simply because they did not take their test in a manual vehicle.
What would the conversion course involve?
Under the AA’s plan, driving schools would provide a standardized one-hour conversion course. After completing it, drivers who passed their test in an automatic would be allowed to drive manual vehicles without needing to take another full practical test.
“What we need is the Government to approve a conversion lesson provided by driving schools so that those that pass their test in an automatic can also drive manual vehicles legally,” Mr King said. “Such a one-hour conversion course would help those who may occasionally need to drive a manual car do so legally.”
He added: “This would be more pragmatic than retesting them in a manual vehicle when the DVSA is struggling to get rid of the current test backlog.”
The AA argues that a short supervised session is enough to ensure safety. But not everyone agrees.
Current rules for upgrading your licence
At present, if your licence is only for automatic cars, the sole way to upgrade it to include manual vehicles is by passing a driving test in a manual car. You can begin learning to drive a manual at any time, and you do not need to apply for another provisional licence.
One advantage is that you do not have to retake the theory test. The upgrade process involves booking a driving test directly with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). However, this booking can only be done by phone – online booking is not available for upgrades, which has been a source of annoyance for many applicants.
The combination of the backlog and the phone-only booking system means that some automatic licence holders face months of waiting to gain the entitlement to drive a manual car.
DfT insists on full manual test
The Department for Transport has made it clear that it will not change the rules. In a statement, a spokesperson said: “For the safety of all road users, anyone wishing to drive a manual car must pass a manual driving test, and we have no plans to change this.”
That firm stance reflects concerns that a one-hour course might not adequately prepare drivers for the complexities of handling a manual gearbox in all road and traffic situations. Operating a manual car requires significant multi-tasking, from clutch control to gear selection, and the DfT believes the full test is the best way to verify competency.
Steps already taken to tackle the backlog
The DVSA has been struggling for years to reduce the backlog of driving tests, which was severely exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In response, the government has introduced a series of measures.
These include recruiting more examiners and training them more quickly, bringing in military examiners to provide additional capacity, and overhauling the booking process to prevent misuse by automated bots and resellers who sell slots for inflated prices.
While these actions have helped to some degree, the pressure on the system remains. The AA’s proposal is one of several ideas that have been floated to relieve the strain, but it is the first to directly address the situation of automatic-only drivers.
What happens next?
For now, automatic-only drivers will still need to pass a manual driving test if they wish to drive a manual car. The AA’s conversion course idea, however, has opened a debate about whether the current rules are overly rigid.
With 1.1 million drivers potentially affected, and the number of automatic vehicles on the road increasing, this is an issue that is unlikely to go away. Andy Burnham and his government will have to consider whether to stick with existing safety standards or embrace a more flexible approach that acknowledges the changing nature of driving.
The Prime Minister has yet to respond publicly to the AA’s request, but the pressure is mounting.
