According to new survey looking into private practice by learners, dads are better than mums for help from the passenger seat.

It’s not just about mansplaining or good chit chat, its about results when it comes to the test.

A thousand young drivers gave their views from behind the wheel.

Gender centric

Learner drivers are 20% more likely to pass their test first time if they practice with their dad rather than their mum.

A huge 74% of teenagers revealed they had aced their maiden practical exam having gained extra guidance from their father compared to just 62% with their mother.

The, perhaps controversial, findings were discovered by free learner driver app FourFive.

Male influence

Surveying more than 1,000 young drivers, it revealed a host of other stats that favour dad-taught drivers.

These include:

  • A son learning to drive with his dad is 30% more likely to pass first time than if he gets extra tuition with his mum
  • It’s the same for a daughter, but only by 11%
  • A teen is 12% more likely to get straight on the road if they spend time with their dad in the passenger seat as a learner, rather than using both parents
  • There is no difference in how many attempts it takes to land a full driving licence if you only use an instructor rather than parents too.

Speedy success

Results also focus on how long drivers learned for, how many lessons they did, if, and why, they chose to learn with their parents and whether they would teach their own children in the future.

“Judging by this data, if I was learning to drive I’d be getting my dad to sit beside me,” joked FourFive founder Bryn Aldridge.  “Perhaps daddy does know best after all” .

FourFive was launched in 2022. It provides helpful tips, guides and features to reduce the stress and anxiety around learning to drive, for both the theory and practical exam.

“With the ongoing driving test backlog, more people are leaning on their parents to get some extra time behind the wheel. I’m sure there’ll be a few mums who won’t like these results and will be even more determined to help their sons and daughters pass first time.”

You can read the full results of the survey at the FourFive app website.