THE UK driving test changed on Monday to reflect the widespread use of sat navs in everyday driving and to include the testing of different manoeuvres.

According to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the changes are designed to make sure new drivers have the skills they will need to help them through a lifetime of safe driving.

The changes will only apply to car driving tests to begin with. The four test changes are:

* The independent driving part of the test will increase from 10 to 20 minutes. During this part of the test, you have to drive without turn-by-turn directions from the driving examiner;

* During the independent driving part of the test, most candidates will be asked to follow directions from a sat nav. The examiner will provide the sat nav and set it up;

* One-in-five driving tests will not use a sat nav but will follow traffic signs instead;

* The ‘reverse around a corner’ and ‘turn-in-the-road’ manoeuvres will no longer be tested, but drivers should still be taught them by their instructor. Instead candidates will be asked of perform one of three possible reversing manoeuvres to include – parallel park at the side of the road, park in a bay (either driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out), pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for two car lengths and rejoin the traffic;

* Candidates will be asked to answer a vehicle safety question while driving.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “Our roads are among the safest in the world. However, road collisions are the biggest killer of young people.

“These changes will help us to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads and equip new drivers with the skill they need to use our roads safely.”

The cost of a driving test for a car will remain the same at £23 for the theory test and £62 for the driving test on a weekday, £75 for evenings, weekends and bank holidays.