Experts are calling on the Government to introduce new rules to mandate the inclusion of defibrillators in all new cars sold in the UK.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has announced that it will introduce new questions to the driver and motorcycle theory test from early 2026.
Questions about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and how to use defibrillators will be added to theory tests to boost knowledge of life-saving measures and reduce the burden on the NHS.
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It comes as research suggests that more than 40,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year, with less than one in 10 surviving.
The JumpStart campaign is calling on the Government to mandate the installation of defibrillators in all new cars sold
|JULIE STARLING/GETTY
However, if CPR is given and a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes, survival rates can soar to as high as 70 per cent.
Speaking to GB News, Jon McLeod, spokesperson for the JumpStart Campaign, is urging the Government to mandate the use of defibrillators in all new cars sold in the UK.
The campaign argues that the simple installation of a defibrillator could help save tens of thousands of lives every year that are needlessly lost.
Mr McLeod told GB News that early conversations with ministers about mandating defibrillators in new cars sold across the UK were "constructive".
An example question on defibrillators in a theory test | DVSAHe added: "We believe it would be relatively straightforward, and certainly the technology is no more complex than any parts of a modern vehicle.
"We do believe it could be quickly and easily covered as part of the MOT process."
The JumpStart campaign is in the process of speaking with the representative bodies of some of the world's largest automotive manufacturers, with hopes of entering talks in the Autumn.
Mr McLeod described the DVSA's intention to include questions about CPR and defibrillators as a "tremendous step forward".
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Experts say installing defibrillators in cars would save lives | PAThe JumpStart campaign, which was conceived by Jonathan Harris CBE, has consulted with the leading charities and organisations on the technical aspects of the proposed reforms.
Data shows that 60 per cent of the public do not know where their nearest defibrillator is, with JumpStart proposing to provide an effective solution.
A Department for Transport spokesperson told GB News: "The Government has no plans to make it a mandatory requirement to fit defibrillators in cars."
Experts consistently call on all road users to familiarise themselves with basic CPR skills and learn how to use a defibrillator in an emergency.
There are more than 100,000 defibrillators across the country registered on The Circuit, which represents a staggering increase of 30,000 over the last two years.
The Circuit is operated by the British Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Resuscitation Council UK, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, and the National Health Service, which recently partnered with the DVSA.
Labour is planning to roll out its first road safety strategy in over a decade, aiming to improve conditions for all road users and reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths.
Potential measures in the new strategy could include requiring elderly drivers to pass an eye test or risk having their licence renewal rejected, as well as a crackdown on drink and drug driving.