The number of driving license holders has reached a record.
For the first time ever, more than 42 million people in Britain now have a full license, according to new analysis from car leasing company LeaseLoco.
Data from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) shows that 42,120,966 people now hold a full UK driving licence, compared to 41,570,822 this time last year.
The data also shows that numbers have increased by more than one million in the last 24 months, with just 41,075,262 full license holders in February 2022.
More than 42 million people now have a British driving license for the first time. However, the number of young drivers aged 16 to 25 has fallen to pre-pandemic levels, due to a double whammy of rising costs and long wait times at testing centers
But while the number of full license holders is reaching record highs, the number of qualified young people has returned to pre-pandemic levels.
DVLA figures show there are 3.05 million licensed drivers aged 16 to 25 in the UK.
Although this is an increase of just over 75,000 in the last twelve months, it is still 8 percent lower overall than the number of young drivers in March 2020.
Before the pandemic, 3.32 million 16 to 25-year-olds had a full driver’s license, the data shows.
By November 2012 – after months of lockdowns – that figure had risen only marginally to just 3.42 million.
MoneySupermarket’s Household Index shows it costs an average of £7,609 to get a 17 to 20 year old on the road and driving in their first year – an increase of 135 per cent in the last 35 years
Why are the numbers of young drivers declining?
This is Money recently highlighted the difficult position young drivers face due to the rising costs of getting on the road, and the huge delays students face at local testing centers across the country.
MoneySupermarket’s Household Index (MHI) shows that it costs an average of £7,609 to get a 17 to 20 year old on the road and driving in their first year.
By comparison, in 1989 the average young motorist only had to pay £1,285 (£3,234 adjusted for inflation) to get on the road. This represents an increase of 135 percent in 35 years.
The HMI took into account the purchase of a driver’s license, lessons and an exam, plus the costs of actually driving: buying a car, insurance, fuel and costs such as ULEZ and parking tickets.
Unsurprisingly, almost half of young people said they couldn’t afford to start driving without financial help from their parents when asked by MoneySupermarket.
A Freedom of Information request from the AA Driving School revealed that most UK driving test centers have average waiting times of six weeks, but some test centers have backlogs of up to five months.
And in a double whammy, young people who want to take their test are faced with enormous wait times to take their test.
A recent Freedom of Information request from the AA Driving School shows that most UK driving test centers have average waiting times of more than a month – worse than before the pandemic.
Looking at data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the AA Driving School found that at the end of January a total of 245 driving test centers (three quarters) were still having average waiting times of more than six weeks.
Nearly two-fifths had waiting times of more than five months.
Older people over 70 cling to licenses
Older drivers continue to enjoy the freedom and social connectivity that driving offers, with record numbers of over-70s holding a full driving license
While young drivers struggle to get behind the wheel, older drivers are here for the long haul: the number of people over 70 with a full driving license exceeds six million for the first time ever.
As a result of the UK’s aging population, the number of fully licensed over-70s has increased by more than 200,000 (226,526) between February 2023 and 2024.
DVLA figures also show that the number of over-80s with a full driving license has increased by more than 100,000 (139,003) compared to a year ago and now stands at 1,788,280.
Amazingly, there are a third more centenarians with a full UK driving license than there were two years ago.
This is a clear commitment to driving for older generations, who must undergo additional checks to remain on the road even after the age of 70.
Drivers must renew their license once they reach the milestone of 70, and every three years thereafter.
After delving into the DVLA data obtained, John Wilmot, CEO of LeaseLoco, told This is Money: ‘The number of licensed drivers on UK roads has reached a record high, further supporting the continued popularity and convenience of car travel underlined, especially among older people. individuals.
“For many seniors, owning a car is an essential link in social connection, a benefit that is especially pronounced in rural areas where public transportation options may be limited or unreliable.”
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