The bar charts compare the proportions of men and women in seven age groups who possessed full driving licenses in Great Britain in 1975/76 and 2006.
Overall, the percentage of license holders rose across almost every age groups during the given period. Although men consistently recorded higher rates than women, the most feature is the substantial increase among female drivers, resulting in a much narrower gender gap by the end of the period.
Among men, license ownership was already widespread in 1975/76, particularly among those aged 30-59, with figures of around from 70 to 80%. By 2006, these percentages had risen to approximately between 85-90%. The most noticeable increase occurred among older males, as the proportions for the 60-69 and 70-and-over groups climbed from roughly one-half and one-third respectively to around 70%. In contrast, the figures for younger men changed only modestly, remaining about 70-75% for those aged 21-29 and around 35% for the 17-20 group.
Women experienced far more dramatic growth. In 1975/76, fewer half of women in most age groups held a license, with the figures for age 60 and above were particularly low, at under 20%. By 2006, however, approximately 80% of women aged 30-49 possessed a license almost matching the corresponding male rates. Similarly increase were recorded among the 50-59 and 60-69 groups, while even the percentage of women aged over 70 rose remarkably, despite remaining the lowest overall.