Island motorists may soon be required to prove they can keep their vehicles the right way up, following a spike in the number of cars coming to rest on their roofs.
Local drivers are set to become the first in the country to face the new Government-backed Upright Driving Test under plans announced today (1st April).
The test will see the Isle of Wight used as a pilot area before a wider rollout under what officials are calling their ‘Stay Upright UK’ strategy.
Ministers say the move follows a study into unplanned orientation events, with the Isle of Wight identified as a statistically significant cluster.
According to the findings, around 1 in every 2,300 journeys on the Island ends with a vehicle on its roof, compared to 1 in 18,000 across England. Drivers locally were also found to be 3.7 times more likely to overturn on a bend and 2.4 times more likely to flip on a straight road.
In 68% of cases, vehicles had been travelling normally beforehand, while in 9 out of 10 incidents, gravity was identified as a contributing factor. Over 80% of drivers involved reported ‘no expectation of flipping’ prior to the event.
Under current plans, the test will initially apply to drivers aged 17 to 25 and those over 70, before being extended more widely once standards improve.
The assessment will focus on completing bends without rotating, recognising early signs of inversion and maintaining a stable wheel-to-road relationship. Candidates will also be expected to demonstrate the ability to stop before the situation becomes aerial.
Drivers who pass will receive certification confirming they can remain the correct way up under standard UK conditions, along with an optional dashboard sticker reading ‘Certified Upright Driver’.
Those who fail may be placed on an ‘Orientation Improvement Plan’ or advised to reconsider corners entirely.
Emergency services have welcomed the move, noting overturned vehicles remain a regular issue.
One responder said:
“Cars tend to work best when they’re not upside down.
“That’s been our consistent experience, and also the manufacturer’s recommendation.”
Try harder next time.
1/4/2026!! Ha ha
April 1zt
Ha ha,would actually be a good idea for some people,if only it were true!
APRIL FOOL!
Happy fools day
Come on!
A likely story, another Spoof April 1st Joke!! Nice try though!!
Great to hear and all the stupid B’stards whl don’t
understand the Highway code
eg Numpties parking on Double Yellow Lines
Or the stupid B’stards that think it’s true !
It should be true.
And you keep proving me right! You’re the only April fool on here.
Unlike numpties like yourself. I want to see
safe roads for everyone.
Quick tip folks and it works – treat everyone on the road like they are a complete idiot.
And Numpties who drive into Traffic Lights
Loving these April fools day write ups, brilliantly written again. Nice to have something lighthearted to read although it’s true some drivers do need retesting?
Just stop crashing be nice.
Haa! That’s hysterical, warren, well done!
Even better than the squirrels. Good one….almost got me fooled lol
Excellent and took me in completely. When I ran a radio station in the 70s we broadcast an item on 1st April that a German scientist called Lirpa Loof had invented a process for turning water into petrol. We were flooded with calls as to where they could learn the process.