NEW changes to the driving test will "help save lives and improve road safety" Transport Minister Andrew Jones has said.

Learner drivers who take the exam from December 4 this year will be required to complete new manoeuvres and a longer independent driving section.

The changes will also include a section where drivers use satellite navigation to find their way.

Transport Minister Andrew Jones said: “We have some of the safest roads in the world but we are always looking to make them safer.

“These changes announced today will help reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads and equip new drivers with the skills they need to use our roads safely.

“Ensuring the driving test is relevant in the 21st century – for example, the introduction of sat navs, will go a long way towards doing this.”

The four changes are an increase of the ‘independent driving’ part of the test from 10 to 20 minutes, asking candidates to follow directions on a sat nav as an alternative to following road signs , replacing current manoeuvres such as ‘reverse around a corner’ with more "real life scenarios", such as driving into and reversing out of a parking bay and asking one of the two vehicle safety questions while the candidate is driving, for example, asking candidates to use the rear heated screen

Gareth Llewellyn, Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) chief executive, said: “DVSA’s priority is to help you through a lifetime of safe driving.

“Making sure the driving test better assesses a driver’s ability to drive safely and independently is part of our strategy to help you stay safe on Britain’s roads.”

“It’s vital that the driving test keeps up to date with new vehicle technology and the areas where new drivers face the greatest risk once they’ve passed their test.”

Around half of all car drivers now have a sat nav and to reflect the changing behaviours of drivers, the DVSA want new drivers to be trained on how to use them safely.

The organisation says their decision was supported by 70 per cent of respondents from last year’s consultation, including driving instructor associations, the RAC, the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), AA and the driving training National Associations Strategic Partnership (NASP).