Seven in 10 British adults who do not hold a full driving licence believe learning to drive is currently unaffordable, a new survey has found.
This figure climbs to 76 per cent among 18 to 29-year-olds without a licence, who say lessons are financially out of reach.
The poll, conducted for car insurer Prima, revealed that the cost of driving lessons was the biggest deterrent for 38 per cent of respondents.
A further 32 per cent were put off by the price of buying a car, while 15 per cent cited the cost of car insurance as the main barrier to learning.
Almost half (45 per cent) said they would consider learning to drive if it became significantly cheaper.
Nick Ielpo, UK country manager at Prima, said: “For a growing number of people, driving is no longer a symbol of freedom – it’s a financial stretch too far.
“Between lessons, buying a car and insuring it, the upfront and ongoing costs are pricing many people out before they even start.”
Find Out Now surveyed 1,134 adults who do not hold a full driving licence between January 21 and 23.
Elsewhere, a 91-year-old man with Alzheimer’s has been convicted after the car he can no longer drive was left uninsured for less than two weeks.
He was taken to court by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) over the unpaid bill on his 10-year-old Renault Megane.
His son wrote to explain that his father’s driving licence had been taken away due to his illness, and the vehicle was parked on a drive.
He insured the car for five days to get it through an MOT, in preparation for it being sold, and the vehicle was uninsured for 11 days afterwards while the sale went through, he said.
However, the letter was not enough to avoid his ageing father being convicted of keeping a motor vehicle which does not meet insurance requirements.
It is the latest case to emerge from the Single Justice Procedure (SJP), a fast-track court process which allows magistrates to hand out convictions in private hearings.
