Summary
More people in the UK are choosing to learn to drive with automatic cars as the country prepares to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030. However, many learners face challenges, such as a lack of automatic driving instructors and higher lesson costs, which affects their choice. Learning in a manual car offers flexibility to drive different types of vehicles, but automatic lessons and tests are becoming more common.
Key Facts
- One-third of cars on UK roads are automatic, showing a shift in driving preferences.
- A ban on new petrol and diesel car sales in the UK starts in 2030, favoring electric vehicles, which are automatic.
- A quarter of driving tests in England, Scotland, and Wales were taken in automatic cars last year.
- Pass rates for manual driving tests are higher (50.4%) than for automatic tests (43.9%).
- Automatic lessons tend to be more expensive due to the higher purchase cost of automatic and electric cars.
- Learners like Caitlin Graham often choose manual lessons due to a lack of nearby automatic instructors.
- Electric vehicles do not have manual gearboxes, impacting the choice between learning manual or automatic driving.
- Learning manual driving offers the flexibility to drive both manual and automatic cars.
