Driving licenses are becoming more and more expensive – virtual driving lessons promise a solution

CDU initiative
Getting a driver’s license costs up to 4,500 euros – virtual driving lessons could lower the price

Driving school in Germany is unaffordable for many. Union politicians therefore suggest doing traffic exercises on a simulator. But is that practical?

The process of getting a driver’s license is time-consuming and expensive. Of those who acquired their driving license from spring 2023, a good fifth, 22 percent, paid between 3,500 and 4,500 euros ADAC summarized at the end of last year. At 46 percent, almost half of the costs amounted to 2,500 to 3,500 euros. At 21 percent, only a fifth stayed below 2,500 euros.

Reduction in driving license costs by a quarter

According to the wishes of transport politicians in the Union, driving licenses should become significantly cheaper through more digital and modern driving training. “With our measures, driving licenses will be up to 25 percent cheaper,” said CDU transport politician Florian Müller “Rhineland Post”.

The so-called “Transport Working Group” of the Union parliamentary group proposes in a paper that driving simulators should be used more frequently in training so that candidates can reduce the number of practical driving lessons. In addition, theory lessons should be partly digital and, if necessary, more examiners – for example from the Bundeswehr or state police – can be deployed, as the “Rheinische Post” reports. In Berlin alone, around 20,000 driving students were waiting for a test due to a lack of examiners. However, the working group’s plans would still have to be coordinated with the rest of the Union parliamentary group. STERN PAID driving license at the age of EU 13.16

Regarding this proposal from the Union, the ADAC makes it clear that “of course there should not be any loss of quality. It remains to be seen whether driving simulators – as a supplementary measure to driving lessons under real conditions – contribute to reducing the cost of driving licenses,” says ADAC press spokeswoman Katharina Luca star. First of all, an investment will be necessary for driving schools. There are no empirical values ​​available on this yet. In principle, the driving license must remain affordable. However, measures such as visiting traffic training areas and learning apps as preparation for the theoretical part of the driving test are expressly recommended by the ADAC.

Sources: ADAC, “Rheinische Post”with DPA.