I wrote this morning about the DSA’s new online statistics, and suggested that the amateur statisticians might have some fun with them.
It didn’t take long. KentOnline trumpets that the driving test pass rate is improving, and creates a whole article around that.
The simple fact is that the pass rate has gone up from 44% two years ago, to 46% last year, to 47% for the current year so far. A 3% rise over three years is hardly significant.
It also doesn’t take into account the fact that the national pass rate was 46% in 1999, and has hovered between 45-47% ever since then. In other words, the pass rate isn’t increasing – it just appears to have done so over the last three years to people who haven’t got a clue about statistics and statistical significance.
And now, the RAC is on the case with pointless prose. So far, all these have done is just repeat what is in the DSA data, but using different words.