A significant change to driving rules will affect hundreds of thousands of people when it is implemented in 2026. From the new year, driving theory tests will incorporate new CPR questions and, for the first time, queries about defibrillators to increase cardiac arrest survival rates.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that it is broadening the theory test question bank to include enhanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) content and to introduce questions about automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for the first time, building on existing first aid content that has been a part of driver education for years.
This initiative aims to tackle the UK's low cardiac arrest survival rates by ensuring more people know what to do in emergencies. The driving theory test, which learner drivers must pass before they can book their practical driving test, consists of two parts that are booked and taken together: 50 multiple-choice questions covering topics from road signs and traffic laws to vehicle safety, hazard awareness and first aid, and a video hazard perception test.
Both parts must be passed to succeed in the overall test. The DVSA has confirmed that the changes will not result in any additional cost, test time, or difficulty - they simply update existing first aid content with current best practice.
Every year, approximately 2.4 million theory tests are taken, with a pass rate of 45.7% recorded between July and September 2024. This implies that each year, hundreds of thousands of individuals will acquire life-saving skills through the improved questions.
