The number of young people with a full driving licence has fallen to its lowest ever number on record. This comes after driving lessons and tests have been suspended during Covid-19 lockdowns in the UK. Financial pressures have also increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic, meaning fewer people have the money to learn to drive.
In March 2020, 3.32 million people aged 16-25 held a full licence; a year later, this number has now fallen to 2.97 million. This is the lowest number on records, dating back to 2012 when numbers were 3.42 million. What’s even more shocking is that the number of young people has risen during the same time.
Why has there been a decline?
This decline is largely a result of driving tests and lessons having been suspended for a large part of the past year. The disruption has also been made worse by the Governments refusal to extent theory test certificates past the current two-year period in place.
This means that, for many learners who were unable to take their driving test during the pandemic, they will have to retake their theory test. Many learners may be put off from learning again once their theory test certificate expires because of the cost, time and work involved in taking their theory test again.
Increase in provisional licence holders
Surprisingly, there has been an 11% increase in the number of 16-25-year-olds holding a provisional driving licence during the same time. Official statistics from the DVLA show that in March 2020, there were 2,521,375 16-25-year-olds with a provisional licence in Great Britain. This number has increased to 2,797,685, as shown in the March 2021 figures released by the DVLA. This increase suggests that young people still want to learn to drive, and there is still a demand for driving lessons and tests.
Driving lessons and tests to restart
The DVSA has confirmed that driving lessons in England and Wales will restart on the 12th of April 2021 and driving tests just ten days later, on the 22nd of April 2021. In Scotland, driving lessons will be able to resume from the 26th of April. The DVSA is yet to confirm when driving tests will resume in Scotland. However, they have said it’ll be no earlier than the 6th of May 2021.
