The likelihood of people who do not hold a driving licence to say they ‘never intend to learn to drive’ has dropped by nearly one in twenty (4%) in a year.

New statistics, out today (28/7), in the 2013 National Travel Survey show that 56 per cent of non-licence holders say they never intend to learn. In 2012*, 60 per cent of this demographic was adamant they would never get behind the wheel.

A third (34%) of young non-drivers (17-20) said they planned to learn within the next year, and 53% said they planned to learn within five years**.

Older non-drivers were far less likely to say they would ever driver with 99% of over 60 non-drivers saying they never would.

Overall, the percentage of adults over 17 who hold a full driving licence has increased slightly year-on-year with 81 per cent of men and 68 per cent of women holding a licence in 2013, compared to 80 per cent and 66 per cent respectively in 2012.

Reacting to the statistics, Mark Peacock, head of BSM, said: “It is a sign of the continued economic recovery that fewer non-drivers say they will never get behind the wheel.

“For many people being able to drive goes hand-in-hand with finding and keeping a job, so the importance of having a full driving licence may be starting to resonate again.

“We have started to see this positivity reflected in interest in driving lessons and are committed to ensuring everyone who learns with us will get the best start possible in their driving career.”