New drivers 'face costs of £4,459'

15/09/11

Dan Smith

Motorists have to fork out £4,459 on average when driving for the first time, new research suggests.

According to The Co-operative Insurance, road tax and driving lessons are among the outgoings new drivers have to contend with, along with car insurance and the actual price of a vehicle.

A sum of £2,000 or more is shelled out on car insurance by the average 18-year-old, the study indicated, with these drivers typically owning a Vauxhall Corsa.

The firm's figures also showed that driving lessons currently cost young motorists an average sum of £480.

The Co-operative Insurance's head of motor insurance, Grant Mitchell, emphasised just how high the costs are for drivers setting off on the roads for the first time.

He said: "Our research shows that although today's young drivers own their first car from an earlier age than their parent's generation, the cost of actually getting on the road is huge."