Government considers new plans for young drivers to reduce road accidents

Published: 10/04/2013

The government is again looking at ways to reduce the number of road traffic accidents involving young drivers, as well as reduce insurance drivers for this age group.

Plans include incorporating motorway, night time and bad weather driving lessons as well as setting a minimum learning time of one year before allowing the driver to first sit their test. The test itself could also be made more difficult with the learner being required to demonstrate independent driving for a longer period of time.

Newly qualified drivers may also be banned from carrying passengers other than family members and driving at night.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI) an 18-year old driver is three times more likely to be involved in an accident on the road than a driver in their 30s. Further figures revealed drivers aged between 17 and 19 were involved in over 12,000 crashes in 2011, half of which resulted in serious injury or even fatality.

Patrick McLoughlin is the Transport Secretary:

“It is alarming that a fifth of people killed or seriously injured on our roads in 2011 were involved in a collision where at least one driver was aged 17 to 24.

“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.”

Barely Legal Drivers is a new documentary from BBC Three which tells the stories of several young drivers who, unbeknownst to them, are being watched by their horrified parents. Their antics may explain why, despite accounting for only one in eight drivers on UK roads, drivers under the age of 25 make up a third of country road fatalities.

Content correct at time of publication