Cost ‘the biggest reason’ for delaying learning to drive

The price of lessons and the cost of running a car are the top reasons why many young people have put the brakes on learning to drive, according to a survey by IAM RoadSmart. The road safety charity says while passing the driving test was once seen as a rite of passage for most youngsters, the number of young people getting behind the wheel is now declining.

Of the 1,000 young people (17-24 years) surveyed, cost concerns were rated as the biggest reason for not learning to drive. Equal top concerns were the price of lessons and the cost of running a car (29%), closely followed in second spot by the cost of taking the driving test itself (28%).

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM RoadSmart, said: “Our research shows that among young people the cost of learning to drive is a major deterrent to getting that license which would open up many more job opportunities and increase their personal mobility.

“No doubt, the increase in numbers going into higher education, and the rise of cheap taxi-hailing mobile applications have also fuelled the driving decline.

The survey also revealed that fear of driving had put off 26% of respondents from learning to drive, with longer waiting lists for tests only being an issue for 20%.