Most driving instructors believe youngsters could benefit from getting behind the wheel years before they are old enough to hold a full driving licence, according to new research from Young Driver.
A survey of 120 instructors experienced in teaching both under-17s and conventional learner drivers found that just 5% considered 17 the best age to start learning.
Instead, 88% said they believed pupils learn better when they start younger, while only 7% thought people were better beginning after the age of 18.
Fourteen emerged as the most popular starting age, chosen by one in four instructors as the point at which youngsters could most easily begin developing the skills required to drive.
The findings come as the average age at which people pass their driving test in Britain continues to rise.
According to Young Driver, the national average moved above 25 for the first time in 2024-25, compared with around 22 in 2007.
Instructors say learning becomes harder with age
When instructors were asked which age group they believed found learning to drive most difficult, 56% selected people aged over 25.
Meanwhile, 71% said starting before 17 helped pupils acquire practical skills more quickly, while 66% believed younger learners benefited from having more time to develop confidence.
More than half – 54% – also said younger pupils tended to arrive with fewer preconceptions or bad habits.
Lance Peake, Customer Experience Director and chief instructor at Young Driver, said: “Seventy one per cent of instructors said that learning under 17 helps pupils pick up practical skills more quickly.
“It makes complete sense that rather than starting from scratch at age 17, children spend years gradually practising, consolidating and reinforcing the foundations of driving before they are old enough to drive independently.
“They can pick up those skills in a safe and supportive environment, away from the real roads, with no pressure to learn to a timetable.”
Peake added that many 17-year-olds were already dealing with exams, jobs and university applications, meaning the additional pressure of learning to drive and passing a test could make the process more challenging.
Can starting younger make driving skills easier to learn?
Young Driver also points to research into motor-skill development and the way repeated practice can help consolidate newly acquired abilities.
Childhood and adolescence are important periods for developing motor, visual and perceptual skills, while spreading practice over a longer period can help with long-term retention.
Driving requires a combination of these abilities, from operating the controls of a vehicle to observation, spatial awareness and hazard perception.
Young Driver argues that introducing basic vehicle control in a controlled environment before pupils reach 17 allows those mechanical processes to become more familiar before they encounter public roads.
Peake said: “It makes sense to spend several years building neural pathways in the brain for the ‘mechanical’ elements of driving.
“Then at 17, on the real roads, learners can spend their time focusing on hazard perception and those other essential elements of being a good and safe driver.”
Pre-17 driving lessons continue to grow
Young Driver specialises in driving tuition for children and teenagers and says it has delivered more than 1.6 million lessons to under-17s.
Children aged four to eight can drive a purpose-built two-seat electric vehicle called the Firefly, while youngsters aged nine to 17 can drive dual-controlled cars, including the Suzuki Swift, accompanied by an approved driving instructor.
The company operates at more than 70 venues around the UK, using private areas configured with road layouts including junctions and roundabouts. Pupils can also practise basic manoeuvres such as steering, reversing and parking.
Peake said the rising age at which people are passing their driving test could reflect several factors, including driving-test availability, access to instructors and wider cost-of-living pressures.
However, he said the survey indicated that instructors experienced in teaching different age groups saw advantages in introducing driving skills earlier.
“The age of passing your driving test is quite rapidly increasing – it was 22 back in 2007, now it’s risen to be around 25,” he said.
“With test and instructor availability still causing issues, along with the cost of living crisis, perhaps that’s no surprise.
“But a large majority of the instructors we spoke to, who were experienced in teaching pupils of all ages, felt it got harder to learn the older you got.”
At a glance
- 120 driving instructors surveyed
- 88% believe pupils learn better at a younger age
- 25% chose 14 as the ideal age to start
- Just 5% selected 17 as the best starting age
- 56% said learning was more difficult for people aged over 25
- 71% said under-17 tuition helps pupils acquire practical skills more quickly
- 66% said starting younger provides more time to build confidence
- 54% said younger learners have fewer preconceptions or bad habits
- Young Driver says it has delivered more than 1.6 million lessons to under-17s
- You can visit the Young Driver website here: http://www.youngdriver.com/
