Drivers in the UK who pass their test in an automatic car currently need to pass a further practical test in a manual before they can lead one independently. The RAC wants the rules reconsidered, proposing that a single hour of focused instruction could qualify automatic licence holders to lead manual vehicles legally. That would change the current upgrade route: passing an automatic test does not itself grant manual entitlement.
The proposal comes as new-car registrations increasingly reflect the shift to electrified powertrains, most of which use automatic transmission. Office for National Statistics figures for September 2026 put electric vehicles at about 60% of new UK car registrations: 27% battery-electric, 20% plug-in hybrid and 12% conventional hybrid, with petrol at 36% and diesel at 4%. These figures cover new registrations, not the entire vehicle fleet. Manual cars remain available in the used market, where they can offer lower-cost options and remain relevant for some jobs and vehicle needs.
Under current UK licensing rules, passing the practical test in an automatic restricts a driver’s Category B entitlement to automatic-transmission cars, commonly recorded as code 78. To remove the restriction, the driver must pass a practical test in a manual car; a new theory test is not required. The entitlement remains automatic-only until that practical requirement is met, so informal experience or practice in a manual does not allow the driver to use one independently.
The two practical tests assess the same broad driving competencies, including eyesight, vehicle-safety questions, general driving, a reversing exercise and independent driving. Each test lasts about 35 minutes, with the same pass threshold: no more than 15 driving faults and no serious or dangerous fault. The manual test also requires candidates to demonstrate clutch control, gear selection and safe moving off. Those skills matter during hill starts, at junctions and in stop-start traffic, where poor control can cause a stall or disrupt the vehicle’s movement.
The RAC’s proposed alternative is a 60-minute practical session with a certified driving instructor, covering skills such as clutch control, gear changes, hill starts and avoiding engine stalls. Under the proposal, the instructor would issue a digital certificate so the driver could upgrade their licence without another state practical test. That would move the competence check from an examiner-led test to instructor certification. A formal process would also be needed to record the certificate and update the driver’s entitlement.
Road-safety advocates and examiner associations warn that mastering manual transmission, particularly under pressure in busy traffic, can take more than an hour. They point to the risks of stalling at a crowded intersection or roundabout and argue that any reform should include sufficient training and a reliable assessment of competence. Attending a lesson and demonstrating the ability to control the car are not necessarily the same thing.
The market figures put the debate in context, but they do not mean manual cars have disappeared: new-car supply is changing faster than the existing vehicle fleet and used-car stock. ONS figures also show that fleet buyers accounted for just over half of September’s new registrations, while private buyers represented around one-third. Overall registrations rose 4% from August and 10% year on year; private registrations were broadly unchanged month on month and up 12% year on year.
Similar questions about adapting to new automotive technologies have surfaced elsewhere. For example, the challenges of integrating electric solutions into existing fleets were explored in a recent report on how US companies are retrofitting diesel trucks with electric trailers to modernize without full replacement.
The RAC’s fast-track concept remains a reform proposal, not the current licensing route. Under the rules now in force, drivers with code 78 must pass a practical test in a manual car before gaining unrestricted manual entitlement. Any move to instructor-issued certification would require licensing authorities to establish how competence is assessed and how the resulting entitlement is recorded.
