Why the young are giving up on learning to drive

SOARING costs are putting record numbers of young people off learning to drive.

In some areas of the country two thirds have decided to give up on getting behind the wheel, motoring website Honest John revealed.

As little as a decade ago the vast majority of youngsters would be itching to drive and wanting to learn as soon as they turned 17.

Once they had passed, they would no longer have to rely on public transport or their parents to go out.

But soaring insurance bills and driving tuition fees have put driving out of the reach of the many whose families are unable or unwilling to help foot the bills.

The rise of Uber and its cheap cab fares has also increased the transport alternatives available to the young – especially if they are planning a night out that involves alcohol.

Figures show the number of 17year-olds taking the driving test has fallen by 100,000 in the past ten years and there has been a 20 per cent drop in under-25s learning to drive over the same period.

East Sussex saw the largest average drop in young people taking the practical driving test, a fall of 61 per cent, while Bristol was second with a fall of 45 per cent.

Cambridgeshire and the Vale of Glamorgan are joint third – with a 40 per cent decline in driving test take-up. Worcestershire completes the list, with a decrease of 39 per cent compared to 2007-08.

Experts said the cost of insurance was the biggest factor in the decline. Premiums rose 8 per cent in the first quarter of 2017 and an under-25 can expect to pay more than £2,000.

A learner could also pay £1,530 to get their licence, with the Department for Transport claiming that on average they need 47 hours of professional tuition.

Daniel Powell, of Honest John, said: ‘Ten years ago, a typical 17year-old would have booked a driving lesson as soon as they were legally able, but today most simply cannot afford to drive.’

The decline in the number of young people taking the driving test coincides with a sharp increase in the level of university tuition fees to £9,000 a year and with the rise of taxi-hailing smartphone app Uber.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: ‘This is definitely an affordability issue. The sharp decline in 17-year-olds learning to drive has happened just as tuition fees have gone through the roof. Many people are now waiting until after university to learn.

‘But it’s bad news for parents as it means their adult children are becoming increasingly dependent on “mum and dad’s taxi service”.’

Uber, which offers cheap cab rides that can be booked in minutes from a mobile, launched in London in 2012 and has expanded to many other British cities.

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency records show that while the average pass rate for the driving test has increased since 200708, from 44 to 47 per cent, the overall number of tests conducted has fallen from 1.8million to 1.5million, with young drivers accounting for the majority of the drop.