DRIVING lessons should be added to the school curriculum to combat a steep decline in the number of teenagers learning to drive.

Almost half of those who took part in a survey said that driving was an important skill and passing their test was a huge confidence boost.

The study by Young Driver, the UK's largest provider of pre-17 driving lessons, asked 1,000 motorists aged under 25 how important driving was to their lives.

Some 39 per cent thought that not driving closed avenues of opportunity and that one in five motorists (19 per cent) would be unable to do their job if they didn't have a driving licence.

The research comes at a time when the number of youngsters learning to drive has fallen by 20 per cent in the past decade.

Laura White, Young Driver marketing manager, said: "Driving is a useful skill, which can open up a world of opportunities which might otherwise be impossible. But even beyond that, it also has the ability to give people a sense of freedom and confidence.

"Sixty five per cent of the drivers we questioned said they enjoyed the feeling of freedom driving gave them, and our research also showed it gave people self-confidence they wouldn't otherwise have."

She said that 44 per cent of those questioned thought that learning to drive should be done at school and a similar number believed social media was to blame for a lack in self confidence amongst teenagers.