Prices for cars, insurance, and fuel are making it more expensive for people to learn to drive, claims Heritage Car Insurance 

In comparison to just two years ago, learner drivers now have to pay an average of £11,137 to get on the road. This is a staggering 47% increase.

This was revealed following analysis of Office of National Statistics (ONS) data by Heritage Car Insurance, which has added up the total cost of learning to drive and buying and running a car for a year.

Although the average cost of driving lessons, which is based on data from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency that suggests it takes 45 hours of lessons to learn to drive, has stayed consistent at £1,238, the cost of used cars and petrol has increased the most for new drivers.

According to ONS data, the average price paid for a first car today is £6,600, up from £3,562 just two years ago.

In the same period, fuel costs have risen by 67 per cent according to Heritage, which calculates that new drivers will pay out an average of £983 for petrol in their first year on the road.

Price spikes boost the financial threshold even higher for learners who must also find the money for their driving lessons and face expensive insurance rates due to their inexperience, even if the majority of drivers have been similarly hard-hit by rising used car and petrol costs.

The average cost of insurance cover comes in at £1,414, reckons Heritage, which is a relatively small increase compared to the £1,409 paid two years ago. 

However, we’ve previously reported on the soaring insurance premiums facing many other drivers this year, and it seems unlikely that learner premiums will be protected from rises going forward.

Learning to drive costs breakdown

Meanwhile, here’s a breakdown of the costs facing new drivers…