IT’S a rite of passage: turn 18 and you get the keys to the door, turn 17 and you get the keys to the car.
A new study reveals Reading is one of the UK areas most interested in learning to drive, clinching fourth spot.
Analysis by Howden Insurance crunched government data on the number of provisional licenses in each area with Google search trends for learner-driver-related terms to create an index of the UK areas most interested in learning to drive.
Manchester topped the survey, netting 16.86 out of 20 points. It has more than 39,912 provisional licenses for every 100,000 citizens, the second-highest number in the UK. Manchester also has the eighth-highest number of Google searches for driving-related terms each month, the most popular being ‘driving test booking’ and ‘driving instructor near me.’
Wigan is in second place with 15.62 points. The town has the third highest number of provisional license holders in the UK, where for every 100,000 locals, 39,729 have a provisional license – around 40% of the town’s population.
Birmingham was third, with 15.01 points, and had the highest number of Google searches relating to learner driving in the UK, at 1,483 per 100,000 citizens.
The most searched-for terms are ‘driving test booking’ and ‘driving instructor near me, with these two terms accounting for almost half of the total searches in the city.
Reading had 14.98 points, and the fourth highest number of provisional license holders in the UK per 100,000 residents, at 34,468, the equivalent of one in three people.
The town also has the 11th highest number of learner-driver Google searches, at 1,091 per 100,000 people living there.
More than 44% of this traffic is dedicated to ‘driving test booking’ and ‘driving instructor near me’.
Salisbury rounds off the top five with 14.91 points. It has the second-highest number of monthly Google searches about learning to drive in the UK, at 1,096 per 100,000 residents.
A spokesperson from Howden Insurance said: “The study highlights a compelling trend: Manchester’s keen interest in driving, despite its efficient metro system, suggests residents may aim for commutes to other cities.
“London’s lower driving interest, which can be attributed to its Underground and congestion charges, reflects shifting transportation preferences, which could shape future urban mobility and infrastructure.
“The prospect that smaller cities might develop more extensive road systems than those with advanced metro or rail networks is captivating.
“This trend could redefine urban planning, emphasising the adaptability of city infrastructures to meet changing transportation needs and preferences.”
For more details, log on to: https://www.howdeninsurance.co.uk/
