Learner drivers are ditching professional tuition and taking lessons from relatives and friends in a bid the save money, it has been revealed.
Car insurance company Swinton found that the average number of paid-for lessons fell from 43 in the period from January to March 2008, to just 32 for the same period this year.
The figures come as many motorists are taking measures such as shopping around for cheaper car insurance and reducing unnecessary journeys in order to drive down spiralling costs. Eight out of 10 new drivers questioned cited cutting costs as the reason for choosing "home tuition".
Drivers who passed their test last month had an average of 41 hours' paid-for tuition and 63 hours behind the wheel with friends or family.
According to the survey, fathers came up top for giving driving lessons with 64%, with mothers second (23%), and aunts and uncles third (17%).
The firm's development manager, Steve Chelton, stressed that learner drivers should take up professional tuition as approved instructors go through a number of tests and have all the skills and knowledge needed to teaching driving safely.
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