Yahoo Finance Have your say: Should new drivers have tougher road restrictions after passing their test?
The government has been asked to reconsider whether to impose limits on new drivers after they have passed their tests.
Ministers have been urged to look at introducing graduated driving licences (GDLs), which would place restrictions on new motorists.
These include banning the carriage of passengers, curfews, lower alcohol limits and mandatory “P” plates for a set period after they’ve passed their tests.
The government previously pledged to examine the introduction of GDLs - which are in use in the US, Canada, Australia and Sweden - back in July 2019.
However, the assessment was brought to a halt last autumn because of the potential impact of the licences on young people’s employment.
But now the Commons Transport Select Committee has recommended that research into the consequences of GDLs should resume, as there is evidence they can be “effective in reducing crash rates”.
While the committee stopped short of recommending that GDLs should be launched in England, it urged the Department for Transport to work with the Northern Ireland Executive, which is expected to conduct a pilot scheme.
A total of 88 drivers aged 17 to 24 died on the UK's roads in 2019, with a further 1,234 seriously injured.
Tory MP Huw Merriman, who chairs the committee, said “fully equipping learner drivers for driving in different situations” will be “essential” to boosting safety.
AA president Edmund King said: “We have always been supportive of elements of a graduated licensing system. A logbook, for instance, can help make sure learners experience different weather and daylight conditions.
“However, we have raised concerns about the social and economic implications for new drivers of a heavily restrictive system post-test and will be interested to see the results of the study.”
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