The number of 17-year olds taking a driving test has dropped significantly in the past decade, according to an automotive consumer website, with rising costs to blame.
Research by Honest John shows that the number of 17-year-olds taking their practical driving test has fallen by 100,000 since 2007-08. The number of under-25s learning to drive has also dropped significantly, with 220,000 less young people sitting a test in 2014-15, compared to 2007-08.
Areas such as East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Bristol have all recorded large average drops in the number of those sitting practical driving tests.
The rising cost of car insurance is seen as a key contributor in delaying the decision by young people to start learning to drive. Figures show that a city-based teenager can pay up to £13,498 to insure a small hatchback – valued at £8,000 – for 12 months’ comprehensive cover. Young drivers in rural areas, meanwhile, can still be expected to pay as much as £8,750 for annual insurance.
An average learner is also expected to pay £1,529 to obtain a licence, which includes the costs for a theory test, provisional licence, practical driving test and an average of 47 hours of professional tuition.
Honest John’s managing editor, Daniel Powell, said: “Young people are being priced out of learning to drive. Ten years ago, a typical 17-year-old would have booked a driving lesson as soon as they were able, but today most young people simply cannot afford to drive.”
By Ted Welford
