Young drivers face tougher tests

Y oung drivers may have to spend up to a year learning to drive before they are allowed to take their driving test.

Ministers are also considering making the driving test more difficult, perhaps by requiring learners to drive independently for longer than the current 10 minutes to 20 minutes.

They may also face being forced to take lessons on motorways, at night and in bad weather under plans to reduce accidents being considered by the Government.

Once they have passed, young drivers could be banned from carrying anyone other than family members as passengers or driving after dark.

At present learner drivers are not allowed onto motorways but can the moment they are qualified, potentially leading to them suddenly finding themselves in the middle of 70mph traffic without any preparation.

The plans have been drawn up to cut the number of road accidents involving under-25s and reduce the cost of providing them with insurance cover.

The Government will publish a Green Paper setting out the proposals in more detail later this spring.

There are also proposals to increase the current probationary period, when a new driver's licence can be revoked if they receive six or more penalty points, from two to three years.

In addition, it is hoped that the insurance industry will offer incentives for newly-qualified drivers to take extra lessons to improve their skills.

The Association of British Insurers says that one in eight drivers is under 25 but they account for one third of the number of people who die on the country's roads.

It estimates that an 18-year old driver is three times more likely to be involved in a crash than a motorist 30 years older.

In 2011, drivers between 17 and 19 were involved in 12,000 crashes of which more than half resulted in serious or fatal injuries.

The plans were unveiled at a motor insurance industry summit hosted by the Department for Transport.

Patrick McLoughlin, the Transport Secretary, said: "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."

He added that he wanted to see insurance premiums reflecting the real risks on the road.

Improving road safety is clearly important for all, none more so, than for those families involved in road traffic incidents.

Statistics obviously highlight the need for recently qualified and in particular, young drivers to improve their road skills but it should be noted that this should apply to all drivers, regardless of age.

There are regular crashes involving older people also, who cannot drive at all well and lacking all judgement of relative speed but are more likely to have modern vehicles equipped with an array of safety features. 

Whilst these headlines are alarming, it is important to stress that these measures are only proposed at this present stage and much tinkering may be applied before being made law.