Hundreds of motorists have been caught impersonating driving examiners over the last 12 months, with offenders now facing serious punishments.
It comes after a Freedom of Information request found cases of hundreds of drivers cheating on their practical tests across the South East of England.
Reports found numerous examples of learner drivers hiring impersonators to sit their practical tests for them after waiting times for tests reached record highs.
Across Essex, 15 drivers were caught impersonating someone for a practical test, while 127 cases were found of people cheating on theory tests, according to the FOI.
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More learner drivers have been cheating on their practical and theory tests due to backlogs with exams
PA/GETTY
The data also revealed that 95 offenders were suspected of using covert devices to assist them, while others used impersonators.
But more shockingly, out of all the cheating cases in Essex, none of the offenders have been prosecuted despite the DVSA stating fraud prevention was a "top priority".
Carly Brookfield from the Driving Instructors Association told the BBC: "Learner drivers are hiring impersonators to pass their practical test because of lengthy waits for an exam.
"They're thinking 'if I don't pass first time, it's going to be a very long wait until I get my next driving test slot'. They are calculating that risk and thinking it's worth cheating to try and ensure they pass."
Last year, 2,059 incidents of cheating were recorded by the DVSA, with sentences ranging from prison terms to community orders.
To drive in the UK, learners must complete both a £23 theory test and a £62 practical exam. But over the past year, drivers have been struggling to book exam slots.
The practice of reselling a driving test is not currently against the law, although the DVSA noted that it is in the process of developing new rules to make its booking system more robust to help crack down on multiple exam slots.
A spokesperson for DVSA told GB News: "In December, we launched our seven-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times. The measures will help make the driving test booking system fairer for learners, better protecting them from exploitation, and continue to provide them with the tools to help them pass their test."
The spokesperson added that the DVSA plan will build on work last year, which provided over two million tests to help learners get on the road sooner. "We recently asked learners, driving instructors and the driver training industry for their views on our booking system and processes and we are reviewing the findings," they shared.
Marian Kitson, the DVSA's director of enforcement services, explained that the authority was committed to tackling fraud "to protect other road users from unsafe drivers."
She said: "We work with driving examiners and test centre staff across the country to help them better identify candidates suspected of cheating and explain how to report these cases.
"Our dedicated counter-fraud team carries out robust investigations into suspected fraud, working with the police to bring fraudsters to justice."
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The DVSA has issued 350 warnings for overbooking driving slots last year
PAAccording to DVSA reports, between January 9, 2023, and January 5, 2025, the authority issued 350 warnings, 792 suspensions, and closed 813 business accounts for misuse of its booking service.
