Transport
Nearly two-fifths aged 17 to 20 have a driving licence
Full car driving licence holders aged 17 to 20: by sex, Great Britain
In 2007, just under two-fifths (38 per cent) of young people aged between 17 and 20 had a full car driving licence in Great Britain, equivalent to around 1.2 million estimated licence holders. This was a fall of six percentage points compared with 1995/97 but an increase of ten percentage points since 1975/76.
In the period 1995/97, a half (50 per cent) of males and 36 per cent of females aged between 17 and 20 held a driving licence; the equivalent figures for 2007 were 41 per cent and 34 per cent. Possible reasons for this fall include the cost of driving, an increase in the proportion of young people in higher education, and changes to the driving test (including the introduction of a theory test in 1996).
Around 904,400 driving tests were taken by young people aged between 17 and 20 in 2007/08, of which just under one-half (48 per cent) were successful. Young males in this age group were more likely to pass their tests than females, 50 per cent compared with 46 per cent. Over two-fifths (43 per cent) of the total tests conducted for this age group were taken when the candidates were aged 17, with a further 30 per cent conducted when the candidates were aged 18.
There is a higher than average risk of death and injury to young drivers and their passengers. In 2007, 32 per cent of car driver deaths and 40 per cent of car passenger deaths were people aged between 17 and 24. Young male drivers were much more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a car accident than young female drivers; 1,815 male drivers aged between 17 and 24 were killed or seriously injured in 2007, compared with 665 female drivers in the same age group.
Regularity of public transport use: by those aged 17 to 20, 2007, Great Britain
People aged between 17 and 20 are more likely to use public transport on a regular basis than people in any other age group. Almost two-thirds (65 per cent) of people aged between 17 and 20 used a bus at least once a month in 2007 in Great Britain. Around 46 per cent of people in this age group travelled by taxi or mini-cab once a month or more, and just under a third (32 per cent) travelled by surface rail at least once a month.
Walking and cycling are also a common way of getting around for young people. In 2007, more than two-fifths (42 per cent) of people aged between 17 and 20 reported that they walked for 20 minutes or more at least three times a week, and a further 20 per cent did so once or twice a week. However, just over a fifth (22 per cent) stated that they had never walked for 20 minutes or more or had done so less than once a year. Around 54 per cent of males and 37 per cent of females aged between 17 and 20 either owned or had access to a bicycle in 2007. Around 45 per cent of males in this age group stated they had ridden a bicycle in the 12 months prior to interview, compared with just 27 per cent of females.
Source: National Travel Survey, Department for Transport
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