Success rate dropping for acquiring driver's licence

People in Saskatchewan are having a harder time passing the test to acquire a driver's licence, according to SGI.

"Since about 2005 the long-term trend indicates that there is a decreasing pass rate," Ciaran Downes, from SGI, told CBC News Wednesday. "It's dropped depending on how you sort the data about eight to 10 per cent."

In Regina, the current pass rate is 37 per cent, a figure that is well below the rest of the province. Estevan and Buffalo Narrows also have pass rates below 40 per cent.

SGI could not say if there was any single reason for the decrease.

For some drivers, like Leslie Santos, the challenge with the test was taking it in a new environment. Santos is originally from the Philippines.

"It's kind of a culture shock for me," Santos said, after revealing she took the test three times before passing. "If you're not used to this place, [it can make you] kind of nervous."

Now, with four years of experience in her new home, Santos is a confident driving and helping her daughter, who just got her learner's permit.

SGI said it does not have plans to change the standards for passing the driver exam. But it is studying the routes examinations follow, to ensure the test is fair.