THE gap between male and female driving test pass rates narrowed at the Heaton test centre in Bradford, new figures show.

Figures from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency show male drivers took 2,931 tests at the Heaton test centre in in 2023, 1,734 of which were successful - a pass rate of 59.2 per cent.

Meanwhile, 47.5 per cent of the 3,709 tests taken by women were passed over this period, giving a gap of 11.7 percentage points.

In 2019, 33.8 per cent of women gained their licence at the centre compared to 49.7 per cent of men - a difference of 15.9. It meant the gap has narrowed since then.

The gap between male and female driving test pass rates also narrowed at Steeton test centre in Keighley, while it remained unchanged at the Thornbury test centre in Bradford.

Camilla Benitz, of the AA Driving School, said while young male drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash than young female drivers, this is not considered when it comes to insurance prices.

It is currently illegal for insurers to take gender into account when calculating premiums.

However, the Confused.com car insurance price index for the latest quarter of 2023 shows on average men were paying £177 more than women.