Learner drivers turning to family and friends for lessons

Instead, new motorists are practising with family and friends to get their driving skills up to standard, reveals new research by temporary car insurance provider Tempcover.

Nearly everyone who learned to drive in the 1990s had some lessons with a professional driving instructor, but this has fallen to 92% in recent years, a survey by Tempcover found.

Tempcover has also seen sales of temporary learner driver policies rocket 238% in 2024 - suggesting budding motorists are increasingly practising in private cars.

Learner drivers are increasingly turning to family and friends for lessons

Nearly 40% of learners quizzed say they turned to practising with family and friends to reduce the high cost of lessons with a professional instructor.

Rising lesson costs and instructor shortages have driven many people to rethink how they prepare for life behind the wheel.

Driving lessons now cost between £25 and £45 per hour, and with the average learner needing 45 hours of lessons plus 22 hours of private practice to pass, the cost has skyrocketed to between £1,125 and £2,025 for lessons alone.

Other challenges include a shortage of professional instructors. Hotspots across the UK report just one driving instructor per 350–400 learners, with waiting lists for practical test slots stretching up to six months

Jake Lambert, temporary insurance expert at Tempcover, said: “Passing your driving test is often a milestone on the path to independence and adulthood.

“Amid rising costs and instructor uncertainty, learners are adapting with the growing popularity of temporary learner insurance we're seeing, which offers flexible coverage in just minutes.

“This option allows learners to practise with trusted friends and family, accommodating irregular schedules with pay-as-you-go flexibility to log more hours behind the wheel."