London ‘capital for older learner drivers’ report shows

New figures from a leading car insurance comparison website show almost half of all learner drivers (47.6%) in London are over 30 years of age.  

Quotezone.co.uk’s data reveals that after London, the West Midlands has the next highest number of learners over 30 at 38.5%.

Just under half of London’s learner drivers have had their provisional licences more than five years and over a quarter (27%) have held it for more than 10 years, which is below the national average of 32%.

The general picture of learners being young still rings true, with 60% of learner drivers across the country being aged between 16 and 25. It is common to find learners in their 40s – 8.7% of all learners – and even their 50s – 3.8%.

The advancing years have also not held back over 300 learners nationwide, including 22 London residents, who could qualify for a UK pension. The research also found that more than 100 septuagenarians and octogenarians across the country are renewing their interest in passing their driving tests.

Quotezone.co.uk says demand for its learner premiums has rocketed 42% from 2019 to 2020, although the average age was still firmly rooted in the mid-20s. 

The data was sourced from Quotezone.co.uk’s 2020 records covering a sample of 50,000 provisional drivers across the UK, with 15,000 over 30 years of age. London learner drivers made-up 3,780 drivers of the data and 1,800 were over 30.

Greg Wilson, Quotezone.co.uk’s Founder, comments: “School leavers or young professionals often come to mind as the typical learner driver. Our findings tell a more multifaceted story though, showing many people hold back on getting their full driving licence until they’re well into their 20s and beyond. 

‘The findings show that the trends are nationwide, but London is certainly the capital for older learner drivers.   

“There’s going to be lots of reasons why people hold off on learning to drive. Cost could be one answer, with the price of lessons and buying a car putting some provisional drivers off. But when it comes to insurance you shouldn’t have to pay over the odds even if you are a learner. I would say dust off your provisional licence and shop around for the best deal by using a comparison website to compare quotes.  

“We’ve seen a big rise in learners looking into policies in 2020. Perhaps safety concerns using public transport have played a part in this surge, and with many services reduced, commuters are returning to the idea of having a car.  With lessons and tests returning and an economic bounce back looking promising, we expect more provisional licence holders to actively pursue their full licence this year.”   

Quotezone.co.uk can help learner drivers find a better deal on their provisional insurance, and for anyone wanting to take a few lessons with a friend or family member there’s also the option of temporary learner insurance.