The learner driver and passengers

Y oung drivers 'could' be banned from carrying passengers who are not members of their own family in a bid to cut the number of deaths on the roads. 

Driving with passengers for the first time after passing your driving test can be a daunting experience.

The handling of the car will be different because of the extra weight, the passengers might be distracting and peer pressure could lead to mistakes.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin is considering measures which could cut the number of accidents involving young motorists. 

"There is a suggestion as to whether you should look at a restriction whether anyone could carry passengers for six or nine months when they have first passed their test," he said. 

"There are suggestions about them only perhaps being allowed to take a family member to drive a car when you are learning, you have to have a qualified driver in the car.  So these are all sorts of areas that I think we can look at."

Although, why only family members?

The driver can be just as easily distracted by a family member as they would be by their friends.

We believe these proposed restrictions would only delay the experience of carrying passengers and not resolve the problem. 

The learning to drive experience

Obviously the best solution to overcome the concern would be to introduce the scenario in to a course of driving lessons. 

That's why we encourage our pupils to bring a friend along to one of their lessons to simulate the conditions to drive with a car full of passengers.

This experience allows the learner to appreciate the conditions having passed a driving test and for the passengers to acknowledge what it takes to be a safe passenger.

In the past, it was common practice for driving schools to indulge in the practice of, 'Piggybacking' which is, where a student's lesson finishes and the next learner drives the first home as part of their lesson. 

Driving instructors may have conducted this practice previously for entirely selfish reasons but if managed correctly, it has obvious benefits. 

Tell us about your experiences or preferences whilst learning to drive or since.

More than 1,500 17 to 24-year-olds in the UK were killed or seriously injured while driving a car last year, according to the Department for Transport which accounted for 25% of all car deaths and injuries in 2011.

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Relevant topics:
Driving lessons include fuel stops and drive thru
Include driving lessons in the school curriculum
Keywords: learning to drive, driving instructors, learner drivers, transport, accidents, young motorists