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    [While this story is about the UK, I wonder if it accounts for persons in   
   the US who have accidents and it is found they cannot read streat signs or   
   understand traffic signals.  I suspect this has more to do with the UK's   
   cheating than "long waits" -- the impersonator has to wait just as long, no?]   
      
   Driving theory test cheats are using Bluetooth earpieces and hidden phones to   
   pass  and after my recent nightmare, Im not surprised   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 21 Jan 2026 17:43:47 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   The number of learner drivers caught cheating in their driving tests has   
   skyrocketed in the UK as candidates face long waiting times.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The number of learner drivers caught cheating in their driving tests has   
   skyrocketed in the UK, rising by almost 50% last year with many relying on    
   the use of hidden phones and Bluetooth headsets .    
      
   The data comes from a freedom of information request by PA Media (via the BBC)   
   and reveals that 2,844 attempts to cheat were discovered during driving   
   tests in the year to September 2025. This is a substantial 47% increase   
   compared to the previous twelves months, with over a third of cases using    
   some form of technology.    
      
   This included candidates that were busted with a Bluetooth earpiece connected   
   to hidden phones during the multiple-choice theory test, while there were    
   also more than 1,000 attempts of impersonators trying to sit the theory test   
   in someone's place.    
      
   Thankfully cheating in the practical test (which actually has you behind the   
   wheel rather than sitting at a computer screen) seems less common, though   
   there were still more than 640 instances where impersonators were caught   
   trying to take a test on a candidate's behalf.   
      
   Desperate times   
      
   The government warns that it is illegal to cheat at either a theory or   
   practical driving test by using an impersonator or impersonating a candidate   
   yourself. Those caught risk being sent to prison, banned from driving,    
   ordered to carry out unpaid work, or made to pay court costs.    
      
   Those who suspect that someone has used an impersonator can file a report via   
   the gov.uk website .    
      
   Why are candidates turning to underhanded criminal methods given the    
   potential consequences are so severe? Experts blame the ongoing driving test   
   backlog, with the government itself estimating that candidates have to wait   
   nearly 21 weeks to secure a test in England compared to 15 weeks in Scotland   
   and 13 weeks in Wales.    
      
   "It almost seems inevitable in an era of lots of demand, but very little   
   consistent supply, that you are going to get people engaging in risky   
   behaviours, like using a cheat service to try and pass," Driving Instructors   
   Association chief Carly Brookfield told the BBC .   
      
   My personal experience    
      
   Although I would of course never resort to crime, I do understand the   
   frustration learner drivers face as someone who only passed a few months ago   
   myself. Those backlog estimates seem quite low compared to my experience in a   
   busy area of London, where it took almost half a year of waiting (with   
   thousands of pounds spent on refresher lessons) to secure a test slot.    
      
   The rise of automated bots snapping up places and issues with the government   
   driving test booking website make it an incredibly frustrating experience    
   that forces you to race against hundreds of other learners to secure a small   
   handful of slots as they release on a weekly basis.    
      
   I purchased a third-party booking app out of sheer desperation, which alerted   
   me to short-notice test slots freed up by cancellations and finally managed    
   to get a test booked in.    
      
   The UK government has set out measures aimed at tackling the shortage,   
   including drafting in military driving examiners to conduct tests and   
   preventing learners from snapping up empty slots in far away test centres,    
   but the National Audit Office suggests that things are unlikely to be    
   resolved before November 2027.    
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/vehicle-tech/driving-theory-test-cheats-are-using-bl   
   uetooth-earpieces-and-hidden-phones-to-pass-and-after-my-recent-nightmare-im-n   
   ot-surprised   
      
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