A number of measures are being proposed by the Government in an effort to reduce the number of under 25s being involved in road accidents. Special lessons for driving on the motorway, in the dark and in poor weather conditions are all on the table.
In additon, young learner drivers may be required to spend a year learning to drive before they are permitted to take their test. Further proposals will limit who recently qualified drivers can take as passengers; they may be restricted to family members, and they may not be allowed to drive after dark.
At the heart of the new measures is the desire to reduce the deaths and injuries of drivers in the under 25 age group. But the proposals have also been drawn up to help reduce the exceptionally high insurance premiums that this group of motorists has to pay.
Other ideas include making the driving test harder, possibly by making the learner drive independently for longer periods. Additionally, the period that a newly qualified driver may have their licence revoked should they receive six or more penalty points may be extended to 3 years, instead of the current 2.
The measures are likely to go some way towards reducing accidents – whether serious ones requiring emergency services, or less serious ones where drivers just need vehicle recovery assistance.
While insurance premiums are seen as very high by many young motorists, the statistics appear to back up the high costs. The Association of British Insurers says that while 1 in 8 drivers are under 25, they account for a third of all accidents on the UK’s roads.
The Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, spoke about the new proposals at a car insurance industry summit, recently hosted by the Department for Transport: “Improving the safety of our young drivers is therefore a real priority and will not only reduce casualties but should also mean a reduction in the sky-high insurance premiums they pay."
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