More new drivers opting not to get manual licence

It’s a trend that’s accelerating among new drivers, and will only increase with the advent of electric vehicles. VOTE IN OUR POLL

Queenslanders are ditching the clutch, with only 41 per cent of 60,000 licences granted last year for manual drivers – a 21-percentage-point drop in 11 years.

It’s also a four-point drop since 2018.

Queensland Motor Transport Authority CEO Rod Camm said the trend would continue, and could even accelerate with the increasing prevalence of electric cars.

“It used to be a rite of passage and a credibility test for young people to learn to drive a manual vehicle,” Mr Camm said.

“But advancements in engine technology over the last decade has really optimised the performance of automatic-transmission vehicles and minimised the gap that used to exist compared to manuals.”

Mr Camm said with no performance setback and improved efficiency, the manual option just “isn’t as attractive to buyers any more.”

“And with electric vehicle technology becoming increasingly more available, I think we are going to see this decline continue to expand, as all electric vehicles are ‘automatic’.”

He said people purchasing manual cars now were often vehicle enthusiasts.

As of June 2021, 60 per cent of drivers aged 16-29 and 93.7 per cent of people older than 50 held a manual license.

The Department of Transport said the shift to automatic vehicles being cheaper, easier and more accessible was steering younger drivers out of opting for the manual option.

“Automatic vehicles may be preferred in urban settings, where they may easier to drive in heavily trafficked areas,” a spokesperson said.

Signal Driving School’s Chris Mukiza has been teaching driving for six years, and said more instructors were making the switch to only teaching automatics.

“The shift I have noticed is the new drivers who do manual lessons are people who are working in trades,” he said.

“Before it was a mixed group, so everyone was interested in learning manual, but now it’s just the kids who will need a manual licence for their future.

“I think they just want something easy and quick to learn and they don’t want the challenge of learning manual, so they choose the easier option.”