Following the corona pandemic, there has been a noticeable shift in the number of young people obtaining their driving licences. Whereas previously obtaining a car licence was often an obvious milestone, today the numbers seem to be a bit lower than before the pandemic. But what does this now mean for the future of mobility in the Netherlands?
The corona measures brought a temporary halt to driving lessons and exams. This interruption naturally affected driving licence figures. Nevertheless, positive trends are visible. More and more young people are catching up with their driving licences, and there are even signs that the motivation to get a driving licence, especially in the younger generation, is on the rise. This is true not only for car licences, but also especially for moped and motorbike licences.
Recent figures show that 191,000 young people aged 17, 18 and 19 obtained their driving licences in 2023, a drop of 14 per cent compared to 2019. Yet it is important to stress that this is not an absolute decline. 2022 already saw an increase in the number of young people with driving licences compared to the previous year. It seems that young people are picking up where they left off and seeing the benefits of driving licences, such as freedom and mobility.
What is also striking is the increasing flexibility young people are seeking in their driving licences these days. Many are choosing to go for not only a car licence, but also a motorbike or moped licence. There also appears to be much more interest in getting a moped driving licence. This gives young people more options, especially at a time when we have more and more options for sustainable transport, from electric scooters to motorbikes. Opting for multiple driving licences can also encourage progression to wider mobility.
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