The vast majority of motorists have called for tougher rules to be introduced for newly qualified drivers in a bid to improve safety standards.
It comes after more calls for mandatory ‘P’ and ‘G’ plates have received support from drivers to place limits on vehicles, passengers, speed and alcohol.
According to new research, more than half of drivers have called for measures limiting the types of cars new drivers can use, which could restrict them to vehicles with smaller engines.
A similar percentage of motorists (37 per cent) support tougher restrictions on driving with passengers while 14 per cent want new drivers to be given curfews.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Tom Banks, car insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “Driving for the first time can be both exciting and unnerving, but safety must always come first.
“These findings show a strong consensus among the public for measures that could protect new drivers and other road users, including pedestrians.
“Restrictions like these could help new drivers to build their skills and confidence behind the wheel, as well as making roads safer, although they could result in fewer opportunities for young drivers. It’s also necessary to consider how these proposed restrictions could influence the cost of car insurance, particularly for young and new drivers.”
Drivers with full licences are more in support of new restrictions than those with provisional licences with only nine per cent of learner drivers backing tougher rules.
Banks added: “Measures like limits on car engine size, curfews, or the mandatory display of ‘P’ plates could help insurers better assess the risks involved. In the long run, this could lead to fairer premiums due to the reduced hazards.
“It could also encourage safer driving habits, making insurance even more affordable and potentially lowering the number of claims.”
The need for stricter rules follows the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) (New Drivers) Bill, which was introduced last year by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater to help cut down on the number of deaths and injuries on UK roads which primarily involve young drivers.
Under the Bill, which has already passed its first reading through Parliament, a number of restrictions within the first six months for newly qualified drivers would be introduced including a zero-alcohol limit. This is currently in place in New Zealand and Australia.
RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis explained that young drivers, especially men, “are far more likely” to be killed or seriously injured on UK roads, “so it’s high time a renewed focus was given to reducing casualties”.
He stated that the graduated driving licences “could well be the answer” to prevent unnecessary deaths and incidents caused by reckless driving by young licence holders.
“Passing the practical driving test is the very first step in anyone’s driving career, but there remains so much more to learn to become a safe, proficient, and confident driver,” Dennis warned.
Department for Transport data revealed that in 2022, 29,742 people were killed or seriously injured on UK roads with roughly a fifth of all incidents involving a young driver.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The report also detailed how young male car drivers aged between 17 and 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 or over.
Leadbeater added: “Since I was elected in 2021, road safety has been one of my top priorities as the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen and an issue frequently raised with me by understandably concerned constituents.”
