Why You Shouldn’t Put Off Learning To Drive

Learning to drive is seen as an important milestone for many people, particularly teenagers. It's so important, in fact, that many try to cross it off their list as soon as they hit 17—excited to gain the freedom of the roads.

Of course, for some people, it's not so simple. Depending on where you look and how intensively you choose to learn, it can be a costly and time-consuming affair. Whilst you might be tempted to put off learning to drive, however, there are a few reasons as to why you should reconsider.

We're going to look at why you shouldn't put off learning to drive—discussing the problems of delaying the learning process and how you can make sure you're getting the most out of your time and money!

Putting off learning to drive

The minimum age at which you can take the driving test is 17. Many learners choose to start learning to drive as soon as they reach this age—eager to show off to their friends and claim the independence that comes with knowing how to drive.

Of course, not everyone does so. There are countless people across the UK who choose, instead, to put off learning to drive until a later date, or not at all in some cases.

So, why is this exactly? Here are a few reasons:

• Time: if you've got a busy work, school or social schedule, it can be difficult to find the time to fit in driving lessons.
• Cost of lessons: depending on the driving school or ADI, and how intensively you choose to learn, lessons can be pretty pricey.
• Cost of car: if you can't afford to buy a car—not to mention, maintain and insure it—surely there's not much point in learning?
• No immediate need: if you live in a city centre or have access to public transport, you might not actually need to drive, for the time being at least.

It's easy to see why anyone might want to put off learning to drive. It can be a costly and time-consuming endeavour—though, as we'll discuss further below, there are ways you can make the process easier and cheaper for yourself.

That being said, there's a pretty compelling reason as to why you shouldn't put off learning to drive...

Why you should learn to drive as soon as possible

Age vs pass rates

In case you haven't had a chance to read up on our interesting exploration of how age affects driving test pass rates, we're going to summarise it quickly.

In short, learner drivers stand a much better chance of passing their driving test at a younger age. Those taking the test at 17, in fact, have a 55.8% chance of passing. As you age, however, your chances start to decline—the difference between 17 and 18 year olds was 7.6%!

You can get a better look at this in the graph below or in our in-depth article in the link above.

So, why is this the case?

• Ageing: the older we get, the more our bodies slowly start to deteriorate. Our reflexes and reaction times get slower, we start to suffer from muscle stiffness and our eyesight and hearing worsens.
• Over-caution: older drivers tend to be hyper-aware of what's going on on the roads and are cautious as a result. Too much caution in the driving test, however, can result in driving test faults for undue hesitation.
• Power of the mind: if you believe in driving test myths strongly enough, like the idea that older drivers can't pass the test, it starts to come true. And if you end up failing, you find yourself stuck in a rut.

In short, older drivers are at a disadvantage when it comes to learning to drive. Not only do pass rates decline with age, it can also take longer to actually learn to drive.

So, while it might seem like you're saving money by putting off learning to drive, it's actually more cost-effective to get it out of the way as soon as you can.

Even if you wait a couple of years, you're lowering your chances of passing and making it more likely that you'll have to fork out for additional lessons. That's why we advise people start learning to drive as soon as possible.

That's not to say it's impossible to pass if you're an older learner—as we've discussed in depth in our answer to "Am I too old to pass my driving test?". Take PassMeFast alumna Cheryl, for example. She put off learning to drive for 24 years, and, despite the odds, managed to pass with flying colours!

A cost-effective solution

If you're putting of learning to drive because the cost of driving lessons is too steep and you don't have the time to fit them around your busy schedule, we've got the perfect cost-effective solution for you: intensive and semi-intensive driving courses.

Unlike hourly lessons, intensive or semi-intensive courses involve you sitting behind the wheel between 2 to 5 hours at a time.

Why is this more cost-effective, you ask? For starters, intensive hours help you retain information and build up your muscle memory through a consistent lesson format. Hourly lessons, by comparison, make it much more difficult to get to grips with core driving skills. Imagine, for example, that you're working on getting to grips with clutch control.

By the time you've mastered it, your lesson will be over—when you get into the car next week, you'll be back at square one. Instead of lasting months, or even years, an intensive format will get you test-ready in weeks.

And that's not all. As we've discussed in the cost of learning to drive, and 13 things no-one tells you about learning to drive, while intensive courses look more expensive than hourly lessons at first glance, the opposite is usually the case. Intensive courses involve you paying a lump sum upfront.

With hourly lessons, however, you don't actually know how much you'll be paying until the end. If, due to the infrequent nature of your lessons you're not picking up skills quickly enough, you might end up paying hundreds of pounds more than you need to.

Getting your licence with PassMeFast

As you probably guessed, PassMeFast specialises in intensive and semi-intensive courses. In case the name didn't clue you in, our aim is to help learners get their hands on a full driving licence as soon as possible. Not sure you have the time for a driving course?

That's where our helpful DVSA-approved instructors come in!

They'll work with you to fit your lessons around your schedule. Whether you've got to fit lessons around work, school or a busy social life, anything is doable.

With PassMeFast, you're in charge of setting the pace. If you're eager to get on the road, you could complete your course in days—like Daniel who completed a 40 hour course over 7 days!

Or, if you'd prefer a slower approach, you can opt for a semi-intensive pace that still gets you passed sooner than you would with hourly lessons.

We've got a range of crash course packages to choose from, so you're sure to find something that suits your skill level. Additionally, theory and practical tests can be added according to your personal requirements. You can find out more about what each course entails in the table below.

Paying for what you need

If you've put off learning to drive because you're not really sure how many lessons you'll need, we've got a trick or two hidden in our glovebox. PassMeFast wants to make sure you're paying for the course you actually need, which is why we created our driving course recommender.

By answering a few questions—including your age group, driving experience and confidence with certain skills—you'll find out how many hours you'll need in order to get test-ready.

Once you've been shown your ideal PassMeFast course, you're a few simple steps away from getting your hands on that full driving licence. All you've got to do is give us a call on 0333 123 4949 or book your course online.

Before you know it, you'll have passed your test and will be planning your first road trip! Don't put off learning to drive—take the easier route and learn to drive today!