When I was a wee lad I counted down the days to my 17th birthday as one of my biggest dreams was to learn how to drive. Unfortunately I was never actually in a position to pay for lessons, so I had to wait until the age of 21 to rip up my 'L' plates.
It seems as if my situation has become a common one in today's world as the average age of the first-time driver is now over 25. This data has been obtained by a survey Auto Trader and RED Driving School as part of their new partnership. 1,500 people were asked and almost half of those (44%) said they started driving over the age of 25.
Come to think of it, both my parents learnt to to drive quite some time after the age of 17. I once told my mum I'd end up passing my test before she would and I did, I knew I should have put money on it! There has been a 21% decrease of 17-20 year olds taking their tests with cost proving to be the biggest barrier.
29 year old first time driver, Elizabeth Oakley, from London, said: “Looking back, I wish I had spurred myself on more to get on the road when I was 17, I had much more free time and could have relied on my parents for help and support - but it’s a much bigger challenge 12 years on – I have a full time job, and it’s been difficult to find the time to discover how to start learning and pass my test, all the way through to choosing the right car for my needs.”
The biggest barrier for over-25s is mainly confidence although another concern is not knowing how long the process will take. 60% of all first-time drivers stated the process would be made easier if they were given more guidance and information when learning. Providing such information and guidance is the aim of the new partnership between Auto Trader and RED, one of the largest driving schools in the UK. Auto Trader has a new online hub specifically for new drivers which can be found here.