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Fewer Young People Getting Driving Licences - But Why?

Posted: Friday, 09 February 2018

If it seems like there are fewer young people on the roads these days, it is not just your imagination. Researched data from a report commissioned by the Department for Transport says the number of young people between the ages of 17 and 29 with driving licences has fallen some 19% over the last 20 years.

According to the data:

  • The peak years for driving licences among young people were 1992 to 1994
  • During those peak years, 48% of 17-20-year-olds and 75% of 21-29-year-olds had licences
  • The numbers dropped to 29% and 63%, respectively by 2014
  • The total number of car trips taken by young people has fallen some 44% since 1994

The numbers are quite fascinating to anybody who pays close attention to driving habits and traffic patterns. The question now is one of why. According to the Daily Mail, some experts attribute the decline in driving among young people to a list of factors, including:

  • A tendency to extend youth and delay adulthood
  • A tendency to delay getting married and having children
  • Declining disposable income
  • Stagnant wages and low-paying jobs

It would seem that a combination of economic and cultural factors is causing people to decide they do not need to learn to drive. That may be good in the sense of less traffic on the roads, but it could eventually be a problem for employers who need drivers to make their businesses work.

The Lesson for Employers

If you are such an employer, the one thing the data does not address is the question of how current licence holders are maintaining their licences. That is what regular licence checks are for. How would you know if one of your drivers lost his or her licence or received penalty points if you don't check?

Regardless of whether young people are getting licences or not, you still need to do what's right by your company. We recommend routine licence checks on all drivers, whether driving is the main task of their jobs or just something they do from time to time.

We have been providing real-time licence checks for our clients since our company was founded. Over the years, we have discovered just how valuable they can be to employers. If you are not checking driving licences on some sort of schedule, the time to change that is now.

Sources: Daily Mail