Learning to drive less popular among young people

After a significant rise following the end of Covid-19 restrictions, fewer Belgians obtained a regular driving licence in 2022. This drop is caused almost entirely by young people, Mediahuis group newspapers report on Monday.

The lockdown in 2020 meant that driving lessons and driving tests were unable to take place for some time. That year, 73,736 adults got their regular driving licence, a sharp drop compared to previous years. While 2021 saw a huge rise to 125,525, that number dropped to 119,764 last year, according to FPS Mobility.

The decline Belgium is almost entirely due to the 18-25 age group, which obtained 6.6 per cent fewer driving licences than in 2021. The youngest drivers are not the cause of this decline, however: driving schools recently declared a renewed interest among 18-year-olds in learning to drive as soon as possible.

^{© BELGA PHOTO CAMILLE DELANNOIS}