A quarter of drivers admitted to having a bump, scrape or accident in their first car, according to new research which surveyed more than 4,500 young drivers.
Of the drivers surveyed who experienced an accident, 78% were found to have taken their driving test before they had met the official recommended 44 hours of tuition with a qualified instructor.
The research from learner driver car insurance provider, Marmalade, looked at the average time taken for learner drivers to pass their test and the number of accidents young drivers experience in their first car, among other topics.
By contrast, it found 61% of learners who had more than 40 hours of lessons didn’t have an accident in their first car, and almost three-quarters (73%) of learners who had more than 10 hours of private lessons avoided bumps, scratches or crashes too.
The survey found that more than half of learners pass within seven months of starting lessons, and 78% of young learners are taking their test well in advance of the 45 hours of professional lessons recommended by the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
According to the results, over a quarter (27%) of learner drivers pass their test after 21 to 30 hours of tuition, while the majority (28%) pass within 31 to 40 hours of lessons, short of the DVSA recommended figure.
In another study of pass rates, Moneyshake found that 17 year olds are the most likely to pass their driving test; Females are more likely to pass their UK driving theory test; Males have a higher pass rate than females for the UK practical driving test.
