The town with UK's worst learner drivers: Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire ...

Apart from hilly roads, there is nothing obvious about the driving conditions in Heckmondwike to explain why so many learners struggle to pass

Five residents are among the top 20 least successful learners in the UK

PUBLISHED: 19:47 EST, 4 August 2013 | UPDATED: 19:47 EST, 4 August 2013

Women in a small Yorkshire town have been revealed as the worst learner drivers in the country.

Five female drivers in Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire - which has a population of about 17,000 people - have taken a staggering 158 practical driving tests between them.

The unnamed women, aged between 35 and 48, have forked out almost £10,000 trying to pass - placing them among the top 20 worst learner drivers in the UK.

One determined woman in the town took 34 attempts to succeed, while two unnamed learners took 32 tests.

Watch out: The West Yorkshire town of Heckmondwike is home to some of the worst learners in the country ¿ all of them women

The other two women struggled through 29 practical driving tests before passing on their 30th attempts, according to figures revealed by a Freedom of Information request to the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

It is believed this could be due to Heckmondwike's narrow, rural roads, bad surfaces and busy junctions - although local driving instructors have refused to comment.

Driving test routes in the area also feature the notorious Gildersome Roundabout, deemed the most dangerous roundabout in West Yorkshire.

The small town has an extremely low driving pass rate of 39.8 per cent - more than seven per cent below the national average of 47.1 per cent.

And it would appear female learners are mostly to blame - with only 35.3 per cent of women in the town passing the practical test, compared to 45.7 per cent of men.

The practical driving test, lasting about 40 minutes, costs £62 to take on a weekday or £75 on an evening, weekend or bank holiday.

Mark Peacock, head of BSM Driving School, said: 'It seems unusual that Heckmondwike has proved so troublesome for these learners, but there are many factors that can influence someone's success at their driving test.

'In particular, nerves can play a big part in how well someone performs, which may well be the case for those who have made serial attempts.'

According to the data, three of the top 20 worst learner drivers in the country took their tests in Bradford - less than eight miles from Heckmondwike.

And two women took a whopping 69 attempts between them in Middlesbrough.

Failure figures: One woman in the town took 34 driving tests, and two other learners took 32

The record number of practical driving tests was held by a determined 40-year-old, who was deemed fit to drive on his 37th attempt.

The unnamed man, from Stoke-on-Trent, forked out at least £2,294 trying to pass - which could have paid for a decent second-hand car.

Meanwhile, a young woman has recently set a new record for flunking the driving theory test.

The unnamed 28-year-old, from London, has sat the test 110 times - spending a staggering £3,410 trying to pass.

The test, costing £31 a time, includes a 57-minute multiple-choice exam and a hazard perception element.

It is unknown whether the determined Londoner managed to pass on her 110th attempt - but, either way, she still has the practical test to overcome.

And it's not just ordinary people who struggle to gain a driving licence.

Infamous learner Maureen Rees, from the BBC's Driving School, passed on her seventh attempt, while Ozzy Osbourne claimed to have taken 19 attempts to succeed because of his battle with the booze.

The DSA says, on average, it takes about 45 hours of professional training and 22 hours of private practice to pass the practical driving test.

A DSA spokesman said: 'Pass rates can be influenced by various factors.

'Some people may take more lessons and be better prepared for the test.

'Statistical factors can also play a part as the number of tests conducted at different test centres varies significantly.

'However, every driving test is conducted to the same strict requirements.

'We train examiners to a high standard and closely monitor their work to ensure that all tests are assessed consistently across the country.'