New research reveals that learner drivers have spent an estimated £12 million to fast-track their practical tests in the wake of Covid.

Direct Line’s study uncovers a picture of post pandemic urgency amid increasing lesson and test waiting times. With millions of young drivers waiting months for a date, many are willing to pay additional premiums of up to £60 to bring forward their test.

Building backlogs

It has also revealed that there could be a backlog of 2.8 million young motorists looking to take their test this year. This is an increase of around 75% compared to a normal year. Lessons and testing was halted during lockdown. This backlog sees these candidates added to the usual annual totals. With an average of nearly 8,000 tests every day across the UK’s 380-plus test centres, the result is long waiting times.

The research claims this has been financially exacerbated by some driving instructors booking up slots and charging a premium for students to reserve them. There are examples of charging up to £122 per test, a 97% premium for learners to book their tests through them. This is an additional charge of around £60 on top of the £62 test.

More than 200,000 learners (34% of those learning or having passed in the past year) have opted for the fast-track and premium payment.

Financial fiddling

The financial pressure is set to be exacerbated further. The cost of a driving test is expected to rise next year by more than 20%. This will take it from £62 to £75.

Conditions have been difficult for young learner drivers since the start of the pandemic. The study states that 45% (260,000 people) say that they’ve experienced issues with their learning due to the stop-start nature brought about by Covid-19. Other common issues have been a lack of available driving test slots (43%), the increasing cost of learning to drive (26%), and the lack of available driving instructors (21%).

 

Issues experienced when learning to drive

Issues experienced Percentage of learner drivers affected Estimated number of learner drivers affected
Stop-start learning due to Covid-19 45 per cent 260,000
Lack of available driving test slots 43 per cent 250,000
The increasing costs of lessons and tests 26 per cent 150,000
Lack of available driving instructors 21 per cent 125,000
Cost of queue jumping fees to book a test 10 per cent 60,000

Source: Direct Line Motor Insurance, 2021

 

On average, a current learner has spent 47 hours learning how to drive. The research finds this is split between 26 hours of lessons and 21 hours of free practice. In total this has cost them £365 on average, but nearly a third (32%) have spent more than £500 on learning to drive so far.

Mixed conclusions

Lorraine Price, head of motor insurance at Direct Line, is concerned waiting lists have “continued to increase” . With this in mind, it’s “not surprising to see that many want to skip the queue to take their test as soon as possible”. Other have  taken “the difficult decision to put learning on hold for now”.

However, Price believes their is also a positive conclusion, that “the demand for learning to drive still stands despite the frustration”.  She adds that: “It’s encouraging to know learners will eventually take to the roads safely and confidently after an extended period of learning.”