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DVSA to Add CPR and Defibrillator Questions to Theory Tests in 2026 as Campaigners Press for In-Car AEDs

Officials say there are no current plans to require defibrillators in new cars, even as evidence shows rapid CPR and shocks can dramatically improve survival from the UK’s many out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

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Overview

  • From early 2026, the DVSA will expand car and motorcycle theory tests to include enhanced CPR content and, for the first time, questions on using automated external defibrillators.
  • The JumpStart campaign is urging a legal requirement for defibrillators in all new cars and reports constructive early talks with ministers and outreach to major manufacturers.
  • A Department for Transport spokesperson says the Government has no plans to mandate in‑car defibrillators, leaving the proposal at an advocacy stage.
  • Research cited in the coverage reports about 40,000 out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year with survival under 10%, while CPR and defibrillation within three to five minutes can raise survival to around 70%.
  • More than 100,000 defibrillators are registered on The Circuit, a British Heart Foundation‑run database that has grown by 30,000 in two years, yet public‑access units are used in fewer than 10% of arrests.