New Driver Restrictions

I t may have taken the average learner a year to pass a driving test but newly qualified young drivers should be banned from night-time motoring and carrying passengers of a similar age, Cardiff University researchers say.

They said such "graduated driver licensing" for those aged 17-19 could save more than 200 lives and result in 1,700 fewer serious injuries each year.

While road deaths have now fallen to an all-time low, 2,222 people still died on the roads last year.

Research suggests one in five new drivers crashes within the first six months.  The Cardiff team says that by targeting them with graduated driver licensing, many accidents might be avoided.

They said such "graduated driver licensing" for those aged 17-19 could save more than 200 lives and result in 1,700 fewer serious injuries each year.

Of course, any such scheme could penalise those who work at night and need to drive, while police may struggle to crack down on those who flout the rules.

On passing a driving test, people gain so much independence, allowing the opportunity do drive when, where and with whom ever we choose.

But then consider, how often, during your driving lessons you drove in the dark, particularly when learning during the Summer or with someone other than your instructor in the car. 

At these times, we encounter a completely different set of conditions that can confuse many individuals as the research suggests.  Have you ever had a driving lesson at 5pm on a Friday, encountering a busy road junction?

Perhaps the best way to reduce the number of accidents, is not necessarily to restrict newly qualified drivers or alter the driving test but to improve the quality of tuition and variation of lesson times and locations.

That's our view but how do you feel about the report and the subsequent findings?