Learning to drive now costs nearly £1,000 and parents are the ones footing the ever-growing bills for lessons, tests, and insurance, new research reveals.
The price of learning to drive has skyrocketed by 73% over the past five years, new research has revealed. A study of 1,000 parents of learner drivers found the average cost of getting their child through a test in the past year has climbed to £939, up from £543 three to five years ago.
A staggering eight out of ten parents chip in for their child’s driving lessons, but these were found to be the heftiest expenditure, with costs ballooning from £301 to £517, and a notable 12 per cent of parents are shelling out over £1,000 on these alone.
The study also found that the cost of theory tests has nearly doubled from £32 to £62, while the average spend on practical tests has leapt from £71 to £118, according to the research commissioned by Veygo.
A third of parents forked out over £100 on practical driving tests, despite the standard test rate being £62.
As for practice hours outside of professional lessons, the fuel cost has risen by £35, meaning parents now have to cough up £96 to take their children out for some extra practice.
The overall figures also factor in insurance costs, which have almost doubled from an average of £76 between three and five years ago to £144 now.
James Armstrong, young driver expert at the temporary car insurer, said: “The increasing cost of driving lessons is bumping up the total bill of learning to drive. At the same time, multiple failed attempts by learner drivers are adding to this expense for parents.”
Learners typically resit each test once, according to the findings. However, mums and dads are often reluctant to supervise additional practice – taking their child out just six times, on average, during the learning process.
This is despite eight per cent admitting their child could have passed quicker if they had spent more time with them on the road.
In fact, industry data from the DVSA’s Safe Driving for Life campaign shows learners who combine professional lessons with supervised practice are 50 per cent more likely to pass first time.
Flexible insurance policies could help provide parents with the freedom to secure cover only when their child really needs it, for as little time as they need it.
James added: “It’s important for parents to shop around for the costs they can control, including looking for a better insurance deal and consider the benefits of having flexible insurance, so they can practice whenever they need to.”
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