The Covid-19 pandemic delayed learner drivers’ gaining their licence by an average of nine months, according to GoCompare Car Insurance.
Lockdown restrictions meant driving lessons and driving tests were cancelled across the UK, causing chaos for thousands of learner drivers hoping to get legally on the roads.
According to a new survey from GoCompare, who interviewed over 1000 parents of teens learning to drive, it took an average of nine months longer to pass than it should have, with more than a quarter of parents (29%) think the pandemic delayed their children passing their driving test by a whole year.
However, the appetite for learning to drive remains healthy, with more than half (52%) saying their children were keener than ever to get in a car, learn to drive and pass their test.
For some though, the forced break has resulted in them giving up on plans to learn to drive altogether. More than a quarter of learner drivers (27%) have not returned to the driver’s seat, and 11% are less inclined to get back in a car and learn to drive.
The pandemic has led to long waiting lists for those sitting both their theory and practical tests, with a reported backlog of around 420,000 tests.