Has the driving test gone out of fashion?

Reason 1: The driving test is expensive and time-consuming

Do you remember how many driving lessons you had to take to pass your test? Nowadays the average is 20 to 30 – depending of course on whether you learn to drive in a city with its more complex traffic or in a rural area. Either way, getting your driving licence can easily cost between CHF 3’000 and CHF 4’000. That’s a major financial hurdle for a lot of youngsters today – exacerbated by the fact that school and vocational training now takes longer, so there’s a lengthier wait before that first salary payment arrives on the bank account.

In addition, practising on the road not only costs money, but also time: The Swiss Council for Accident Prevention (BFU) (Bern) recommends 3,000 km of accompanied practice runs, equivalent to 11 times the Zurich-Geneva route.

Reason 2: Public transport is getting better and better

More frequent services, night trains, youth season tickets – these are just a few of the features that reflect the constant expansion of public transport. And the Swiss are taking action on this expansion: The use of public transport is increasing, and with it the number of GAs sold. There are also practical advantages to being driven instead of sitting at the wheel: “I can chat with my fellow students in the tram” or “I can relax, listen to music and chat on the train” are statements that many will probably endorse.

Reason 3: Public transport and footpaths popular, car and bicycle declining

There has been a clear shift in day-to-day mobility patterns among the 16 to 20-year olds in particular. Today there is a definite focus on public transport and walking, while cars, motorbikes and bicycles are losing ground – albeit to varying degrees.

Changes in the choice of transport between 1994 and 2015 (Switzerland, 16 to 20-year-olds, domestic travel)

• Walking + 29%

• Bicycle - 64%

• Public transport + 42%

• Car/motorcycle - 7%

Source: FSO/ARE, “Mobility and Transport” microcensus

The figures for bicycle travel are especially surprising, with a decrease by nearly two thirds. But there are plausible factors at work here. Firstly, people nowadays often prefer to get on the nearest bus rather than have to do the pedalling themselves. Secondly, young people in particular attach importance to spending as much social time together as possible – and it’s much easier to chat when you’re walking than if you’re riding a bike. Thirdly, the hazards involved in road traffic and the risk of theft/vandalism are key factors here too, as is the phenomenon of the “parent taxi” – whereby youngsters are increasingly chauffeured from A to B by mum and dad. And fourthly, micromobility (e.g. kickboards) falls under footpath use in the national statistics – so it counts towards walking rather than cycling. However, there are currently strong counter-trends in favour of bikes: In times of coronavirus, for example, many more people are getting into the saddle again. And electric bikes have been booming for some time. So it will be exciting to see where the journey is heading.

Reason 4: The car status symbol is no longer one

Various studies show that the car is no longer a status symbol, especially for young people. Smartphones and social media are more important than cars and a driving licence.

People are taking the driving test – but later on

As you can see, there are reasons why young people no longer run the doors of driving schools. However, there is no question of a trend away from driving in general. “When it comes to taking the driving test, it’s much more a case of putting it off until later,” writes mobility researcher Daniel Sauter in his study “Mobility among children and young people (2019)”. This is also confirmed by Bruno Schlegel, Head of the Car Commission at the Swiss Driving Instructors Association (SFV): “Within the statistical age range of 18 to 24 years, the trend is clearly moving towards the upper limit of 24 years.” This trend is particularly pronounced in larger Swiss cities, where today only one in two households owns a car thanks to the strong public transport network. Whether the new regulation, which is already 17-year-olds behind the wheel, something will change, remains to be seen. likewise whether the 6% increase in the number of young drivers in 2019 was just an outlier or whether the trend is actually being reversed.