He thinks the AA’s idea should include exemptions for emergencies and younger drivers whose family would otherwise struggle to get around.
“In some ways I think they’re painting all young drivers in the same colour,” says Josh, who lives in Wrexham. “We’re not all reckless drivers.”
As well as the under-21s ban, the AA wants newly graduated drivers to have “G” plates for the first six months after their test and get six points if caught not wearing a seatbelt – if this was applied under current rules, they’d lose their licence.
Mr King says this could also help bring down insurance premiums for new drivers.
For 18-year-old drivers the average cost has more than doubled to over £3,000 per year since 2022, according to figures gathered by Confused.com. For those aged 24, the cost has risen by more than 50%.
Jack says these crippling costs are why lots of his friends can’t afford to drive.
“If you’re under 21, the quotes are ridiculous,” he says. “I already spent two grand on black box monitoring – why do I need extra precautions when I’m paying that much already?”
A black box device can help young drivers reduce their insurance premiums because it tracks things like speed, braking, acceleration, cornering and mileage.
Even if these restrictions were brought in, Jack is doubtful how much safer they would make the roads. Ultimately, he says, “it’s the person behind the wheel, not their age”.
