England 10/04/2013 – For many young people money is tight, but most still want to learn to drive, so are shopping around for the best deal
According to figures from the DSA (Driving Standards Agency) the number of 17 to 25-year-olds taking their driving test has fallen by nearly 19% since 2005. The main reason given for this is that young people have limited funds and are having to prioritise how they spend their money, resulting in many deciding to delay learning to drive. There are also signs that those who do decide to learn to drive are choosing who they learn with more carefully. Websites, like way2drive.co.uk have seen visitor numbers increase as people looking for driving lessons do more research.
People are finding out more about driving schools before signing up for lessons. They are reading online reviews as well as talking to friends and family who have recently learned to drive. Learner drivers are making more informed choices than they once did. They are now less likely to simply take lessons with the driving school closest to their home or place of work.
Lesson Packages Growing in Popularity
Increasingly, they are choosing driving schools who offer discounts for block bookings. Intensive driving courses are also becoming more popular. Pupils like the idea of getting their licence as soon as possible, and are drawn to these classes because they are easy to budget for. Some younger pupils are benefitting from the fact that their parents or grandparents are prepared to buy driving lessons for them as birthday presents.
The fact that people looking for driving lessons are doing more research and shopping around has prompted websites like Way 2 Drive to make changes. They have added reviews and the facility for visitors to their site to click through to the website of each driving school. Providing reviews helps people looking for lessons to quickly assess the quality of the driving schools in their area. This makes it far easier for them to find a school that caters for their needs and has a good pass rate.