An appeal by road safety charity Brake to change the way in which driving licences are issued in the UK is being supported by the insurance industry.
The radical new scheme could reduce the number of deaths in the UK caused by road traffic accidents by providing new motorists with improved training, according to Brake. However, with younger drivers being at the centre of the debate, suggested changes such as extending the minimum period of learning and placing a curfew on night time driving could be interpreted as more bad news on top of the increasing cost of young driver car insurance.
Research showing that younger drivers are more at risk of having road traffic accidents due to their inexperience behind the wheel stems the basis for recommendations. There is also evidence to suggest that accidents involving young drivers have somewhat different characteristics to those involving other drivers. In the last ten years alone, there have been a total of 8,109 young lives lost in road accidents and research undertaken by the University of Nottingham shows that younger driver accidents are more likely to be single vehicle accidents involving loss of control, accidents during darkness and excess speed for conditions.
The Transport Select Committee stated in a report published in 2010 that improved driver training could have another benefit, playing a substantial role in cutting the cost of insurance over the longer term. A reduction in deaths on the road would decrease the risk associated with insuring drivers and could therefore bring down the cost of insurance for everyone, particularly young drivers. The insurance industry is backing the Brake 'Too Young To Die' campaign in the hope that it does exactly that.
The campaign is calling for a system of graduated driver licensing that will enable drivers to build on their driving skills and experience over a period of time. Although the exact details vary, this type of scheme already exists in many other countries.
Some of the elements within the Brake proposal include:
A minimum learning period of one year before learner drivers can take their driving test.
The minimum age of someone accompanying a learner driver to be raised to 25.
After passing a practical driving test, drivers should hold a 'novice' licence for 2 years.
Novice drivers will be allowed to drive unsupervised but should only be allowed to carry passengers less than 25 years of age if supervised.
Unless supervised or travelling directly from home to work or school Novice drivers should not be permitted to drive at night, for the period between 11pm-6am,.