Young drivers may have to wait until they are 18 to take their first test under new proposals being considered by the government. Additionally, newly qualified drivers (with 12 months of driving experience or less) under the age of 30 will not be permitted to carry under-30s in their car.
The moves are gaining momentum within government as the Coalition looks at ways to reduce the number of casualties on the UK’s roads.
The suggestions were presented in a report for the Department of Transport, itself triggered by casualty data from last year which revealed that in a quarter of fatal accidents, a driver of 24 years or less was in charge of the vehicle.
In addition to the new 18 age restriction, drivers would be required to undertake 120 hours of supervised driving practice, of which 20 would be at night.
Once the initial 12 months have elapsed, the driver would be on a probation period of another year. During this time they would be required to fit a P plate on their vehicle, which would make it easier for the police to enforce the new regulations.
The proposals also recommend that a driver would not be permitted to drive between 10pm and 5am unless a person over the age of 30 was also in the car.
Casualty rates would be cut by 4,471 annually, including 41 fatalities – according to the research carried out by TRL, formerly the government’s transport research laboratory.
Youth and inexperience are thought to be big factors in car crashes, according to proponents of the new plans – known as ‘graduated licencing’ in other countries. The USA, Australia and New Zealand have all implemented such restrictions on its younger drivers.
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