Young motorists could be forced to comply with stricter driving rules once they pass their tests as more MPs back the movement.
MPs from across Cumbria have written to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh calling on her to introduce Graduate Driving Licences which could impose severe restrictions on newly qualified drivers.
Support from MPs comes after a mother called for new measures to be introduced after the tragic loss of her 18-year-old daughter who was killed in a crash on the A595 in July 2017.
The letter to the Transport Secretary was backed by Labour Police and Crime Commissioner David Allen and MPs Markus Campbell-Savours for Penrith and Solway, Josh MacAlister for Whitehaven and Workington, Julie Minns for Carlisle, Michelle Scrogham for Barrow and Furness and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron for Westmorland and Lonsdale.
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The Graduated Driving Licence scheme has already been rolled out in some countries
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A letter has been sent to the Transport Secretary to ask her to support the scheme, explaining that other countries using the scheme saw a large reduction in serious incidents on roads between 20 per cent to 40 per cent.
It read: “This is not a punishment for our young people, it’s not about restricting their freedom, it’s about saving lives and ensuring that young people have experience driving independently before they take on the responsibility of driving with their peers in the car.”
It follows calls from the AA’s manifesto highlighting the benefits of a GDL scheme. This would see drivers who recently passed their test under the age of 21 be banned from carrying peer-age passengers for the first six months after passing.
Other restrictions include vehicles carrying “G” plates for the first six months, as well as harsher punishments of six penalty points for not wearing seatbelts.
The six-month restriction would also help mitigate the risks of crashes and dangerous driving which is most apparent among newly qualified drivers.
Edmund King, director of The AA Charitable Trust, explained that support for GDL is “high among drivers and their top priority would be to introduce passenger restrictions”.
He added: “There is a great swell of support for the introduction of GDL so this Government has a real opportunity to make it happen and save lives,” King detailed.
Calls for more restrictions have grown after 290 people were killed in crashes involving young drivers last year, with more than 4,669 seriously injured, according to data from the Department for Transport.
Jakob Pfaudler, CEO of the AA, added that people killed on UK roads is not only a “tragic waste of life, but it contributes to the burden of high insurance premiums for young drivers”.
A DfT spokesperson told GB News: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy and our thoughts remain with the families of everyone who has lost a loved one in this way.
“Whilst we are not considering Graduated Driving Licences, we absolutely recognise that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are considering other measures to tackle this problem and protect young drivers.”
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Driving restrictions would hope to reduce road casualties in the UK
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In New Zealand, where a similar graduate scheme has been introduced it recorded a 23 per cent reduction in car collision injuries for 15–19 year olds, and a 12 per cent reduction for 20–24 year olds.
