The UK's driving test is easier than the equivalents in other countries and could be harming road safety, according to new research.

RED Driving School has condemned the recent revelation that road deaths have risen for the first time in nearly a decade, and put the blame partly at the door of the driving test by pointing to new research the company has conducted.

RED looked at the driving tests in the three most populous countries, or states in North America, on each of the world's inhabited continents. Each of the 18 tests was then compared to the UK's to see if it was easier or harder.

In total, 11 were harder and only five were easier, with two judged to be on a par. In countries including Colombia, Germany, Canada and New Zealand it can take up to five years - and multiple tests - to qualify for a full driving licence.

Ian McIntosh, chief executive at RED said: "The recent statistics released by the Department of Transport indicate a disappointing increase in the rate of road deaths for 2011, in particular those aged between 17 and 24.

"[Our] research results suggest that the UK driving test is not as challenging as in other countries and we are fully supportive of making the UK testing process a more rigorous one.

"By toughening the test procedure, drivers will develop more skills that will benefit them, as well as making the UK roads a safer place. We would hope that this would help reduce the number of road deaths in the UK."

In many countries learner drivers must spend a certain number of hours or years learning before they can take a test for a full licence.

In the USA and Australia, learners must log a specific number of hours with their instructor, with a small proportion explicitly dedicated to driving at night.

New drivers can get involved with RED Driving School's blog at www.reddrivingschool.com