Young driver rules to get overhaul

The Government has released a green paper on improving the safety of young and newly qualified drivers

A range of options were investigated to not only improve the learning and therefore safety of young drivers, but to also try and decrease the astronomically high cost of motor insurance facing all motorists. The options include:

  • a minimum learning period before candidates are permitted to sit their test
  • enabling learner drivers to take lessons on motorways, and perhaps during adverse weather conditions or during darkness to encourage greater practice prior to taking a test
  • increasing the existing probationary period from 2 to 3 years for a new driver’s licence to be revoked if they receive 6 or more penalty points
  • making the driving test more rigorous to better prepare learners to drive unsupervised
  • incentives for young drivers to take up additional training after passing their test.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said 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”

The full Government press release can be found here.

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