&gt; I can understand never owning a car, but never learning to drive feels a bit like never learning to swim.<p>The difference being you don&#x27;t need a license to swim.  I can drive a car ( and agricultural tractor ) but I&#x27;m not licensed to do so on the public highway. It simply isn&#x27;t worth the cost to me.<p>In my part of the UK one must take lessons with &#x27;approved&#x27; i.e expensive state-vetted instructors as well as computer-based testing.  Then hire of a car for the actual practical lesson, plus its cost. All-in here it costs about £3,000 to receive a license in your hand.<p>And then you can&#x27;t actually drive on the highway without some form of insurance, starting at around £900 liability-only for new drivers.<p>Learning to swim cost me around £90.