Failed driving tests in the UK produce almost two million kilograms of carbon dioxide in a normal year, according to new research. 

The pass rate for driving tests in the UK is less than half and each trip spews out carbon dioxide and other emissions, just like every journey in a petrol or diesel powered vehicle. 

Data shows that between April 2019 and April 2020 — before the Covid-19 pandemic saw test numbers plummet — there was a total of 1,599,566 tests and 864,966 of these were failures (54 per cent). 

All together this created a total of 1,998,512 kg of CO2 in 12 months, equivalent to the same as would be churned out by 449 return trips from London to Melbourne.

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Pictured, the driving test centres in England (except London) with the highest carbon emissions produced from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Pictured, the driving test centres in England (except London) with the highest carbon emissions produced from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Pictured, the driving test centres in England (except London) with the highest carbon emissions produced from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020 

SaveOnEnergy found Goodmayes in east London was the test centre producing the most CO2 for failed tests, at 44,722 kg between April 2019 and July 2020. London was home to the five most polluting test centres

SaveOnEnergy found Goodmayes in east London was the test centre producing the most CO2 for failed tests, at 44,722 kg between April 2019 and July 2020. London was home to the five most polluting test centres

SaveOnEnergy found Goodmayes in east London was the test centre producing the most CO2 for failed tests, at 44,722 kg between April 2019 and July 2020. London was home to the five most polluting test centres

Data scientists from SaveOnEnergy, a price comparison site, assumed each test was done in a Ford Fiesta with an average fuel consumption of 49 miles to the gallon, and each route was of 10.4 miles long. 

The researchers also included data from the first half of 2020 but this was affected by a dramatic downturn in the number tests due to the pandemic. 

For example, between April and June of 2020, there was less than 200,000 tests conducted, of which 96,838 were fails. 

SaveOnEnergy found Goodmayes in East London was the test centre producing the most CO2 from failed tests, at 44,722 kg between April 2019 and July 2020.

London was home to the five most polluting test centres, with the centre in Kingstanding, north Birmingham, the most polluting test centre outside of the nation’s capital, churning out 17,998.87 kg in a 12-month window. 

This exceeded the annual emissions from Norris Green in Liverpool by just 16 kg.

The top-ten worst offending locations in the UK is rounded out by Garretts Green in Birmingham, West Didsbury in Manchester and Hither Green in London. 

Pictured, the worst ending test centres in Wales for CO2 emissions from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Pictured, the worst ending test centres in Wales for CO2 emissions from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Pictured, the worst ending test centres in Scotland for CO2 emissions from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Pictured, the worst ending test centres in Scotland for CO2 emissions from failed tests between April 2019 and July 2020

Only one site in Wales (Cardiff) and two in Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) exceeded 10,000 kg of CO2 over a year

Analysis of the data also found men took less tests than women, and were more likely to pass. 'Females took a total of 937,487 tests [between April 2019 and July 2020], whilst males only took 856,748,' SaveOnEnergy writes in a blog post

Analysis of the data also found men took less tests than women, and were more likely to pass. 'Females took a total of 937,487 tests [between April 2019 and July 2020], whilst males only took 856,748,' SaveOnEnergy writes in a blog post

Analysis of the data also found men took less tests than women, and were more likely to pass. ‘Females took a total of 937,487 tests [between April 2019 and July 2020], whilst males only took 856,748,’ SaveOnEnergy writes in a blog post 

Only one site in Wales (Cardiff) and two in Scotland (Glasgow and Edinburgh) exceeded 10,000 kg of CO2 over a year. 

Goodmayes is by far the worst offender for carbon emissions from failed tests, at more than double the 12-month total of the second placed location in Pinne, North West London. 

Analysis of the data also found men took less tests than women, and were more likely to pass. 

‘Females took a total of 937,487 tests [between April 2019 and July 2020], whilst males only took 856,748,’ SaveOnEnergy writes in a blog post

‘However, males only failed 428,261 of these tests (50 per cent), whereas females were unsuccessful for 533,468 (56.9 per cent), causing an estimated 1,232,586 kg of CO2 emissions. This is the same as burning 1,358,140 pounds of coal.’

Worst offending test centres for failed tests causing greenhouse gas emissions between April 2019 and April 2020
Region Centre Number of failed tests 19/20 CO2 produced from failed tests (kg) 19/20
London Goodmayes 18470 42,675.10
London Pinner 9022 20,845.41
London Morden 8709 20,122.22
London Isleworth 8455 19,535.35
London Hendon 8186 18,913.83
West Midlands Birmingham (Kingstanding) 7790 17,998.87
North West Norris Green (Liverpool) 7783 17,982.69
West Midlands Birmingham (Garretts Green) 7683 17,751.64
North West West Didsbury (Manchester) 7366 17,019.21
London Hither Green 7147 16,513.21
East Midlands Leicester (Wigston) 7015 16,208.22
London West Wickham 6453 14,909.71
South East Reading 6361 14,697.15
East Luton 6273 14,493.82
North West Cheetham Hill (Manchester) 6254 14,449.92
West Midlands Dudley 6193 14,308.98
City of Glasgow Glasgow (Anniesland) 6151 14184.66
West Midlands Birmingham (South Yardley) 6136 14,177.28
London Mitcham 6046 13,969.34
West Midlands Wolverhampton 5996 13,853.81
East Midlands Leicester (Cannock Street) 5963 13,777.57
London Chingford 5830 13,470.27
Yorkshire and the Humber Horsforth 5712 13,197.63
South East Slough 5704 13179
East Peterborough 5638 13,026.65
East Cambridge (Brookmount Court) 5601 12,941.16
London Barking 5596 12,929.61
London Wood Green 5411 12,502.16
East Midlands Northampton 5327 12,308.08
South East Farnborough 5283 12,206.42
South West Plymouth 5260 12,153.28
Yorkshire and the Humber Hull 5247 12,123.24
South East Bletchley 5221 12,063.17
South East Oxford (Cowley) 5161 11,924.54
London Wanstead 5130 11,852.91
Yorkshire and the Humber Leeds 5129 11,850.60
Yorkshire and the Humber Sheffield (Middlewood Road) 4976 11,497.09
North West Speke (Liverpool) 4931 11,393.12
North West Rochdale (Manchester) 4824 11,145.90
London Greenford 4776 11,034.99
Yorkshire and the Humber Sheffield (Handsworth) 4767 11,014.20
East Midlands Nottingham (Colwick) 4753 10,981.85
East Midlands Derby (Alvaston) 4748 10,970.30
East Midlands Coventry 4717 10,898.67
London Mill Hill 4687 10,829.36
West Midlands Birmingham (Sutton Coldfield) 4651 10725.55
North West Blackburn with Darwen 4648 10718.63
South East Gillingham 4646 10714.02
London Enfield (Innova Business Park) 4614 10640.23
Yorkshire and the Humber Featherstone 4597 10601.02
South East Southampton (Maybush) 4594 10594.11
West Midlands Warwick (Wedgenock House) 4578 10557.21
City of Edinburgh Edinburgh (Musselburgh) 4560 10515.70
South West Swindon 4526 10437.29
South Glamorgan Cardiff (Llanishen) 4511 10402.7
West Midlands Wednesbury 4511 10402.7
North West Bolton (Manchester) 4511 10402.7
South East Burgess Hill 4468 10303.54
South East Lancing 4467 10301.23
South West Poole 4458 10280.48
North East Middlesbrough 4404 10155.95
Yorkshire and the Humber Bradford (Heaton) 4392 10128.28
North West Chester 4339 10006.06

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk

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