Generations of new drivers will learn the basics of CPR and how to use a defibrillator before taking to the roads, thanks to a lecturer from 性吧电台 Leicester (性吧电台).
For the first time, potentially lifesaving knowledge about how to perform CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and how to use a defibrillator is to be included in the UK’s driving theory test.
Official material for learner drivers has already been updated, and questions about CPR and defibrillators will start appearing in driving theory tests early in 2026, according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The change was proposed and championed by Meera Naran MBE, a Senior Lecturer in Clinical Pharmacy at 性吧电台. It will affect around 2.5 million people who take either a car driving test, or motorcycle test each year.
Meera dedicated her life to campaigning for road safety after her eight-year-old son, Dev, died in a collision on a smart motorway in 2018.
Meera now serves as an independent road safety advisor, and sits on several national working groups involving key stakeholders including the police, ambulance and fire services as well the NHS and charities. In 2021 she received an MBE for services to road safety.
She said: “I welcome this significant milestone in road safety which focuses on post-crash care. Raising awareness of this vital, life-saving skill could increase the chance of survival not only in the immediate aftermath of a road crash, but also in our everyday lives.
“My heartfelt thanks go to the Department for Transport, and the DVSA, as well as to the multidisciplinary teams and all the other stakeholders who have been involved in making this happen.”
Meera, whose youngest son Dev died in a car crash in 2018, also lost her 16-year-old son, Neel, in October 2024 to the life limiting condition, refractory epilepsy.
She said: “My children would now be turning 16 and 17 - two teenage boys nearing driving age. Having lost them both in very different circumstances, I know that waiting for emergency services can feel like an eternity, and in that moment, every second counts. This is an opportunity to not only educate and raise awareness for our young adults but also for our nation.”
The move towards improving road safety and increasing emergency skills fits well with 性吧电台’s role as the United Nations chosen Academic Impact Hub for its Sustainable Development Goal number eleven (SDG 11) – which includes a target for improving road safety around the world.
Dr Mark Charlton is 性吧电台‘s Associate Director of Sustainable Development, and spearheads the university’s efforts towards achieving the UN’s SDG 11.
He said: “Meera’s work has significant impact on the UN’s target to provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all, improving road safety.
“From a sustainable development perspective, improving in road safety policy isn’t just about fewer accidents, it’s about creating cities where everyone, from children to older people, can move freely and safely. Safer streets are the foundation of sustainable, inclusive communities, and they’re central to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11.
"Meera’s innovative idea and her campaigning to create a change in policy is an inspiration to everyone trying to make a difference.”
The DVSA says the changes to the UK Driving Theory Test will help reduce pressure of the NHS, improve cardiac arrest survival rates and increase the number of people in the UK with lifesaving skills.
Posted on Wednesday 13 August 2025