Think you’re a good driver? According to the UK motoring population, you’ll need to have driven for 60 weeks to give yourself that tagline.
A survey of 1,000 motorists quizzed by Young Driver, a provider of pre-17 driving lessons, found the average driver thinks well over a year of motoring is needed to be considered a good driver. Further still, 17 per cent said two at the minimum is needed.
After passing their test, 26 per cent said they felt extremely nervous on the roads — though 10 per cent claimed immediate confidence when getting behind the wheel for the first time as a qualified driver.
According to research firm TLF, the average learner driver has only between 40 and 50 hours’ worth of experience behind the wheel at the time of passing their test.
Sue Waterfield, head of marketing for Young Driver, said: “We all know that experience is key to being a safer driver. Sadly, when youngsters first pass their test, that can often be lacking which can lead to moments of hesitation or dangerous choices being made, resulting in an accident.
“That’s why we’re so keen to help young people get more experience behind the wheel – and it’s the premise behind Young Driver. If you already know how to drive the car by the time you start on the road lessons, you can concentrate much more on hazard perception and other road users, rather than how to control the clutch.
