Demise of the Road for Stick-Shift Drivers? Increasing Numbers of Student Drivers Opt for Automatic Cars in Tests

Automatic car driving test illustration — The number of people undertaking their driving test in an automatic car is rising annually

Roughly one in four licensing exams in Great Britain are now completed in automatic cars, per new data, as motorists choose more EVs and avoid manual transmissions.

Increasing Trend Toward Self-Shifting Cars

Numbers reveal that nearly half a million of the 1.8 million driving tests taken in Great Britain in the previous year were completed in self-shifting cars.

Insurance provider the Automobile Association commented the movement is being driven by the United Kingdom's restriction on recent combustion engine cars coming in the next decade.

An industry expert, a top official of AA's driving school, said that the necessity to know how to handle a stick-shift vehicle is becoming "less important for numerous people."

Certification Regulations

To obtain a full driving licence for the UK, a individual must successfully complete their test in a car with stick shift.

In the event that the test is completed in an automatic vehicle, the motorist would receive a restricted certification, confining them to driving automobiles with automatic transmission only.

The region of Northern Ireland provides its distinct driving licences.

Forward-Looking Developments

The expert added that motorists and students are "growing assured with the notion of their driving future being EV-based."

"Moving forward to the year 2030 and the prohibition on the new petrol and diesel vehicles, a growing percentage of trainees will prefer to train in an eco-friendly car as that is what they will intend to operate."

Government Updates

Following the national vote last year, the ruling party vowed to restore the fossil fuel vehicle restriction to the year 2030, after the former leader Rishi Sunak postponed it to 2035.

Cost Benefits

The lower day-to-day running costs of electric and hybrid vehicles is also attractive to many.

EVs can be considerably pricier than a combustion engine vehicle or a hybrid vehicle upfront, but the price difference is narrowing.

Moreover, electric car drivers can expect to cut costs on gas and repairs outlays.

Teacher Opinion

An industry professional, the operator of Sue's Driving School in Swindon, said that automatic cars are "the direction things are heading" as the vehicle market moves towards EVs.

For student motorists, the instructor noted, automatics can make the exam less challenging, as "it requires less coordination."

New learners can "damage a mechanical components," she said, adding that nerves may cause them to shut down the engine.

She also said the trend was good for highway security as "people are less tired" driving an auto transmission vehicle.

"It reduces the workload - it's fewer tasks for the driver to do so they can pay closer attention on the driving conditions."

Statistical Rise

Public opinion toward EVs have shifted quickly in just the last decade.

The number of licensing exams taken in automatic cars was approximately 88,000 in the 2012-2013 period, or roughly six percent of all tests, per the data.

That figure jumped to nearly 480,000 in the most recent full year, the latest interval with complete data, or over a quarter.

A leading organization is forecasting that twenty-nine percent of each assessment will be conducted in automatics in 2025/26.

Gender Differences

The data also indicated that an increasing number of males are choosing to take their assessments in automatic cars.

In 2012-2013, just over 23% of student drivers taking tests in automatic vehicles were male drivers. In the previous year, that percentage was over 39 percent.

The approval ratio for automatic cars in the previous year was a bit reduced than for stick-shift vehicles. But, the gap has shrunk since the year 2012.

Demise of the Road for Stick-Shift Drivers? Increasing Numbers of Student Drivers Opt for Automatic Cars in Tests

Increasing Trend Toward Self-Shifting Cars

Certification Regulations

Forward-Looking Developments

Government Updates

Cost Benefits

Teacher Opinion

Statistical Rise

Gender Differences

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