Driving costs steer young drivers off the road

A million drivers simply cannot afford to drive, according to information from the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA).

While learning to drive can take months or even years to accomplish, one million people admit to not having driven since passing their driving test, citing the cost of driving as the main hurdle.

Further figures show that an estimated 4.5 million people who have passed their test have not driven for at least a year.

According to the Department for Transport data, which has been updated for the year to September 2016, the proportion of male and female 17 to 20-year-olds with a full driving licence has decreased by a quarter (25%) since the 1990s, when it was at its highest for this age group, at an average of 43.5% across both genders.

Historical analysis suggested a change in attitudes towards driving, with environmental impact being a concern among young adults. However, among young adults without driving licences, 43% say cost is the main reason for not learning to drive.

These costs include the charge for lessons and a driving test, as well as the price of buying a vehicle and paying for insurance and fuel.

When separating the figures for men and women, young adult males are seeing the most significant reduction, with licence holding falling by more than a third, from 51% in 1995 to 33% today.

There is less of a reduction for women for the same period, where the proportion of licence holders has fallen from 36% to 32% – an 11% decrease.

Find out more about young driver insurance.