- Learner drivers will be tested on CPR and defibrillator skills as part of an update to the theory test from early next year.
- The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is implementing the change, noting that motorists are often the first on the scene during cardiac arrest incidents.
- The update aims to provide candidates with a better understanding of life-saving skills, potentially improving survival rates for the over 40,000 people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK annually.
- Research highlights that survival rates can increase significantly if CPR is given and a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes of collapse.
- The push for this change was led by Professor Len Nokes, chair of the Save a Life Cymru scheme, whose daughter died from cardiac arrest complications.
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