Masterclass keynote by DVSA Bob Hannigan at IOC Round Table. CPR in driving test theory test by Bob Hannigan. ‘Thirty thousand people a year have a heart incident every year outside of a hospital environment'. Bob challenged the fellows with operational CPR questions, the answers were strong and correct. Link for first aid updates in Highway Code.

Driver Training to save lives added to theory test

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is adding questions about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use defibrillators (AED) into the official learning materials for car and motorcycle theory tests 

• The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is adding questions about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use defibrillators (AED) into the official learning materials for car and motorcycle theory tests 
• This is part of a partnership working with leading national programmes from across the UK to raise awareness of these life-saving skills
• All road users are being encouraged to learn basic CPR skills and know how to use a defibrillator in an emergency

DVSA is encouraging learner drivers to learn life-saving skills in a move that could reduce strain on the NHS, boost cardiac arrest survival rates and increase the number of people with vital emergency skills. Questions on basic CPR and defibrillator use will be added to the car and motorcycle theory test in early 2026. Learners are encouraged to prepare by picking these skills up early. Drivers are often first on the scene when someone suffers a cardiac arrest. Adding this information into the official learning materials means that the 2.4 million learner drivers who take their theory test each year will have a better understanding of the skills to use in an emergency.

This is part of a partnership with DVSA and leading national programmes including the Save a Life programmes in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and Resuscitation Council UK, the leading healthcare charity responsible for setting CPR guidelines. The initiative also supports the UK Government's Plan for Change commitment to build an NHS fit for the future by reducing preventable deaths and easing pressure on emergency services.

Safety at roadside is a key unit of the Express manager degree apprenticeship and taught as a University unit for managers dealing with fleet to help drivers save lives. The Degree hosted at UWL is levy paid and next starts begging in Sept and then Feb for the 2026 new year.

Safer roads, safer lives - In the UK, over 40,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, with fewer than 1 in 10 surviving - but if CPR is given and a defibrillator used within 3-5 minutes of collapse, survival rates could be as high as 70%.

DVSA Chief Driving Examiner, Mark Winn said: “Part of being a safe and responsible driver is knowing what to do in an emergency – how to step in and make a real, life-saving difference. “Learning CPR and how to use a defibrillator is a very simple skill and adding this into the official learning resource is a great way for DVSA to support the drive to raise awareness.”

Official learning materials have already been updated to give learner drivers time to familiarise themselves with the new content. This includes The Official DVSA Guide to Driving – the essential skills and The Official DVSA Guide to the Theory Test for Car Drivers, with updates to motorcycle publications to follow.

The driving theory test is taken by learner drivers before they can book their practical driving test. The test has 2 parts that are booked and taken together:

• multiple-choice questions - 50 questions covering topics from road signs and traffic laws to vehicle safety, hazard awareness and first aid. Learners must get at least 43 out of 50 right to pass this section
• hazard perception - a video test about identifying developing hazards on the road

You must pass both parts to pass the overall test.

Over 2 million theory tests are taken each year, with a pass rate of 45% between April 2023 and March 2024.This means that in preparing for their test and studying for the enhanced questions, hundreds of thousands of people annually will gain knowledge of life-saving skills.

Common scenarios where drivers might need CPR skills include:

• road traffic incidents - following vehicle collisions, people may suffer cardiac arrest due to trauma, shock, or underlying medical conditions made worse by the stress of an incident
• roadside emergencies - drivers can encounter people who have collapsed at bus stops, service stations, or while walking along roads - these may include joggers suffering sudden cardiac arrest, elderly pedestrians, or people with underlying heart conditions who collapse in public spaces
• service area incidents - at motorway services, petrol stations, and car parks, drivers witness medical emergencies where their intervention could save lives before professional help arrives breakdowns - when assisting someone with a broken-down vehicle, drivers may encounter people experiencing medical emergencies, particularly older drivers or those with pre-existing health conditions who become distressed during vehicle problems.

These images of CPR questions as they would appear on a theory test are available for use in a news story with credit given to DVSA: