The number of driving tests taken in automatic cars has more than doubled – 106% increase – over the last five years.
Uswitch car insurance experts recently looked into the motivations behind learning to drive in an automatic, the challenges automatic-only drivers face and the sentiment towards their decision.
Convenience drives motorists to learn in an automatic.
The study revealed that over two-fifths (41%) of respondents chose to learn in an automatic because they believed it would be easier than a manual, while 37% thought they would learn quicker. Additionally, 31% already had an automatic car within their household that they planned to drive.
Despite the perception that learning automatic is easier and quicker, test data contradicts this, with the overall pass rate in 2025 being 10% less in automatics than manuals.
