Shropshire Star

Number of young qualified drivers dips despite provisional licence applications increasing

Analysis of DVLA data shows that appetite to drive is there, but the number passing is dropping

Published

The number of young drivers with a full licence has declined, despite an increase in those applying for a provisional licence.

DVLA data analysed by RAC Black Box Car Insurance shows that eight per cent more young people aged 17 to 24 had a provisional licence in 2016 compared with 2012, but the number of fully qualified drivers in that age group dropped by six per cent in the same period.

Driving test data obtained from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency also shows that the number of tests that were taken, as well as the number of passes, dropped by 13 per cent in that period.

RAC Black Box Car Insurance spokesman Simon Williams said: “Learning to drive is a key step towards personal freedom and the figures very clearly demonstrate there is a desire for young people to embark on that journey, with an eight per cent rise in people receiving their provisional licences.

“The cost of lessons and the number required to reach the necessary skill level to take the test has presumably played a part in this.”

(Newspress)
(Newspress)

He suggested that the average learner driver could fork out up to £750 for lessons before having to pay car insurance bills “of £1,000 or higher”. The RAC said it “questions whether the cost of learning to drive is prohibitive”.

At the other end of the age scale, DVLA figures also show that there are now more than 100,000 motorists over 90 years old for the first time ever.

Although insurance premiums for older people tend to cost less than those paid by younger people, the British Insurance Brokers’ Association said these drivers can be more vulnerable on the road.

It said: “Older people sometimes have difficulty finding insurance because actuarial statistics show that as a driver gets older – especially those over 75 – the number and severity of road traffic accidents increases.”

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