UK driving test is 80

The UK driving test turned 80 on 1st June.

Until 1935 it was possible to drive in the UK without passing a test. A reduction of 1,000 road deaths in 1936 - when the first driving test was introduced - was a statistic to be celebrated, particularly because there was only a fraction of the traffic volumes currently seen on Britain's roads.

In 1996, the UK theory test was introduced. An additional step which now has to be passed before a learner driver can undertake a practical test on the road. In 2007, 65% of trainee drivers passed the theory test.  Today that statistic is down to 51%.

While driving rules may be important in the UK - based on the Highway Code - Spain has three times as many rules as the UK but still has one of the highest road mortality rates in Europe.

Elsewhere, some countries see evasive action as important skills for learner drivers - in China, an examiner can ask what action might be taken if a car plunges into water.  In Brazil drivers will be taught how to escape from potentially life-threatening situations - they also have to pass a psychological exam before obtaining a licence.

Looking for concealed cats under the car before driving off is important in Japan - drivers can fail their test if they don't bend down low enough to look for sheltering moggies.

Some tests are easier than others - in Pakistan, the practical test simply involves driving through a short course of cones. There is an 80% pass rate.

But, perhaps most worrying of all is Mexico, where 626 pesos (£28) will buy a licence with no test at all.