The analysis focused on five years of Department for Transport (DfT) crash data around the 55 busiest driving test centres in Britain.
The data, compiled by Carleasingmadesimple, has highlighted the roads around these centres, within half a kilometre, as particularly hazardous.
Each crash was scored by severity to produce a “danger score”, and London dominated the rankings, with five of the national top ten located in the capital.
Wood Green, in Haringey, was identified as the most dangerous test centre in the UK, with 251 nearby collisions recorded between 2019 and 2023.
This included 12 serious incidents and one fatal crash.
Four other London sites also made the top ten, including Mill Hill and Hendon in Barnet, Goodmayes in Redbridge, and Morden in Merton.
All five London centres were rated among the most hazardous for learners, with danger scores of 72 or higher, in comparison to just a single crash near some of the UK’s safest test centres.
The UK’s 10 most dangerous test centres are:
- Wood Green, Haringey, London: 251 collisions, danger score 100
- Luton, Luton: 155 collisions, danger score 93
- Dudley, Dudley: 103 collisions, danger score 82
- Sunderland, Sunderland: 79 collisions, danger score 79
- Norris Green, Liverpool: 78 collisions, danger score 78
- Mill Hill, Barnet, London: 72 collisions, danger score 75
- Gillingham, Medway: 58 collisions, danger score 72
- Hendon, Barnet, London: 61 collisions, danger score 72
- Goodmayes, Redbridge, London: 59 collisions, danger score 72
- Morden, Merton, London: 54 collisions, danger score 72
Driving expert Patrick Fagan, director at Carleasingmadesimple, said: “The fact that some test centres recorded just one collision in five years, within a 0.5 km radius, while others had more than 250, tells us something important.
“Not every learner is being tested in the same environment—and that matters.
“A driving test should assess your skill and judgement, rather than your ability to navigate rush hour.
“Where a test starts and ends can massively affect how a learner performs.
“A calmer environment can help them settle, show what they’ve learned, and stay safe while doing it.”
The study found that test centres in busy urban areas, particularly those surrounded by residential roads, fast A-roads, and high footfall, carried far higher risk.
By contrast, the UK’s safest test centres were typically located in business parks or quieter, non-residential areas with simpler junctions and lower traffic volumes.
