New driving licence changes have been slapped down by the Government despite thousands of motorists calling for stronger measures to crack down on newly-qualified road users.
A petition was launched earlier this year, calling for the introduction of a “progressive licensing system” which would apply to young drivers under the age of 25.
Such schemes are used in other countries around the world, including Canada and New Zealand, which has already led to a reduction in incidents among younger drivers.
Crystal Owen first launched the petition in February following the death of her 17-year-old son, Harvey, and has since called on new rules to ensure drivers under 25 wouldn’t be able to have passengers until one year after they’ve passed their test.
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The Department for Transport rejected the most recent calls to introduce driving licence changes
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She said if this law was in place in the UK, her son would still be alive and that people should listen to evidence regarding road safety.
The 39-year-old added: “The evidence speaks for itself, so I think we all just need to learn to trust it and not think we know best,” she told Sky News.
As part of the petition, Crystal Owen put forward a number of suggestions which could help younger drivers be more confident behind the wheel and boost safety. These included:
- A minimum learning period of 40 hours to help young drivers gain skills and experience on different roads under different conditions
- No carrying passengers 25 and under for the first year
- Restrictions on driving at night between midnight and 6am
- Mandatory hazard perception training
The petition is quickly gaining popularity and already has more than 20,000 signatures. If it reaches 100,000 signatures, the matter will be considered for debate in Parliament.
Since the petition received more than 10,000 signatures, it warranted a reply from the Department for Transport, which said there were no current plans for tougher restrictions for younger drivers.
It wrote: “Whilst there are no published plans to introduce tougher restrictions on new drivers, the Department keeps driving licensing requirements under review.
“Every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy and we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety for all users.
“The Department has commissioned research to examine interventions designed to help learner and newly qualified drivers improve their skills and safety and we are awaiting publication of outcomes before considering further measures we can take to improve road safety for young drivers.”
It added that it was aiming to boost road safety through technology and research, including educational messaging and reinforcing the THINK! road safety campaign.
The most recent data from the DfT found that the number of car fatalities involving drivers between the ages of 17 and 24 is falling, with 448 killed in 1990 and just 101 in 2022.
However, when taking population and miles driven into account, younger drivers, especially males, remain one of the highest fatality risk groups.
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The graduated driving licence has already been rolled out in some countries
PAThere are hopes that the Driver 2020 project will allow the DfT to make further considerations in deciding how to help younger drivers, given the long delays stemming from the pandemic.
The project involved 28,000 learner and novice drivers and looked at the effectiveness of telematics, use of a logbook, extra hazard perception, classroom-based education and mentoring agreements.
