Black women far less likely than white men to pass driving tests
Exclusive: equality groups say ‘depressing’ figures reveal racial bias being applied in practical examinations
Women and people of colour are significantly less likely than white men to pass UK practical driving tests, according to data analysed by the Guardian.
Figures released by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) after a freedom of information request show black women had the lowest pass rates (32%) and white men the highest (56%). The figures, covering 2008-17, also show all women had a pass rate of 43% and all men 50%.
Unconscious or implicit bias is one part of the explanation for why, despite equalities being enshrined in law, minority groups are still at a disadvantage in many parts of life. The term was popularised after US social psychologists devised a way of measuring the prejudices that we are not necessarily aware of – the Implicit Association Test. They published a paper in 1998 claiming that their tool for measuring “the unconscious roots of prejudice” showed that 90-95% of people were susceptible.
Source: Guardian Transport
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