Learner drivers turn to YouTube and TikTok to cut costs – but instructors warn of risks

Learner drivers turn to YouTube and TikTok to cut costs – but instructors warn of risks. "Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Learner drivers say they are turning to online tutorials to help with the cost of getting a driving licenceCarly Brookfield from the DIA said she understood gaining new skills online but said there were risks.

What happened

Image caption, Megan is one of many people who used social media to help her learn to driveByLola MayorBBC WalesPublished17 September 2026Updated 6 hours agoLearner drivers say they are turning to online tutorials to help with the cost of obtaining a driving licence. Figure caption, BBC journalist Lola Mayor explains why some learner drivers are turning to social mediaMegan, 18, opted for a trainee instructor to save money but said learning to drive had still cost her more than £1,000.

Megan Kielthy, who passed her driving test in August, said social media videos "definitely" saved her money, but she also had seen AI-generated images and misinformation that she had warned could confuse learners. "I found that having access to YouTube allowed me to cut costs. "I started making short videos for learner drivers to actually learn something outside of driving lessons and to learn things which they need to know for the driving test," he said.

You could possibly learn enough on YouTube and TikTok and you could possibly fluke a 45-minute driving test," she said. "The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), the UK government body responsible for road safety, said: "Alongside the advice of an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) and using official learning guides and the Highway Code, there are many ways that learner drivers can supplement their preparation for the driving test.

The wider picture

"YouTube and TikTok were approached for comment. One learner says social media clips saved her money, but there was also misinformation online. Driving lessons in the UK are now about £35 to £50, according to the RAC, with the average learner needing 45 hours of lessons and a further 22 hours of practice. The Driving Instructors Association (DIA) said while digital education could be "excellent" it should go "hand in hand" with practical lessons, and that road safety was a matter of "life and death".

"I would learn all the content with my instructor but then I was able to revisit content and then if there was something in a YouTube video that I didn't know, that I didn't fully understand, I was able to go back to my instructor and ask him. "Megan warned that not all of the content she had seen online had been helpful. Learners also need to pay for a theory test at £23, a practical test at £65 and temporary driving insurance in personal cars which can cost £40-£50 a month.

"Over the last couple of months my whole TikTok and Instagram is just people learning to drive.

What has been reported

"I also do long videos on YouTube so people who can't afford driving lessons have got the opportunity to find out the correct way to do things for the test. "So by doing these extra lessons online, it can help bring down those costs. "He said while his videos could be a useful tool, they did not mean learners should opt out of formal lessons. "I found that there was a lot of things on there where instructors would say 'this is how you do it, this is how you shouldn't do it' and being very specific to the car they're actually teaching.

"He warned that people should use online material responsibly. "What is the ultimate test of your driving and your driver education to that point is when you [are] on your own and you can cope with those risks. "Mark Born, head of training at AA Driving School, said professional instructors played a "vital role" alongside online content. "Good quality videos can help learners prepare for a lesson, revisit something they have already been taught or better understand a particular manoeuvre," he said.

What happens next

"That is why it is important that learners know they are getting information from a trusted source. She earns £10 an hour babysitting, which she said had gone towards her £30 lessons alongside help from her parents. "I don't think that I would have been able to do it without the financial support from my parents," she said. "She added: "I had part of high school online because of Covid so I already knew how to use recorded content for learning so it felt very natural for me.

"I stumbled across an AI image of a roundabout showing which lane to be in for the exit and it just made no sense. I showed it to my driving instructor and he agreed it was ridiculous. "If people solely relied on online content it could lead to people going on their test unprepared or misinformed of what they're going to experience on their test and driving after.