Drivers could face major new licence restrictions under plans being considered by Transport Scotland to crack down on deaths and injuries involving young motorists.
The proposals would introduce compulsory green P plates for newly qualified drivers, along with curfews, passenger limits and a total ban on alcohol for the first two years after passing a driving test.
Officials explained the measures are needed because motorists aged between 16 and 22 are involved in crashes at twice the rate of the wider driving population.
Between 2020 and 2024, nine young drivers died on Scotland's roads, while 143 suffered serious injuries and another 374 were left with minor injuries.
Transport Scotland said a Graduated Driving Licence system would significantly improve safety, something the UK Government had previously ruled out.
The agency said: "The benefits of a strong GDL system are well documented, with numerous international studies showing the associated reduction in deaths and serious injuries for this vulnerable group."
Under the plans, learner drivers would also need to complete at least six months of supervised driving before taking a practical test.
Newly qualified motorists could then face restrictions on driving late at night and limits on how many passengers they are allowed to carry.
Experts have called for Graduated Driving Licences to be introduced in the interests of road safety
| PA/GETTYThe authority said it "strongly supports" tougher rules, including "mandatory learning periods, passenger limits, restrictions on night-time driving and the compulsory use of P plates".
Scottish ministers have previously criticised the UK Government for not going far enough with current plans for learner and novice drivers.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The suggested six-month minimum learning period should be viewed as the very minimum level of restriction introduced.
"The measures proposed for new and novice drivers do not go anywhere near far enough."
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| GETTYEarlier this year, the Department for Transport launched a consultation looking at possible changes to learner driver rules as part of the Road Safety Strategy, but Scottish ministers argue the proposals focus too heavily on pre-test learning and not enough on restrictions after drivers pass.
The Scottish Government has now asked Westminster for powers to introduce its own tougher graduated licencing system.
Calls for stricter rules intensified after the 2024 Bannockburn crash, in which two young people died when a Vauxhall Corsa driven by a recently qualified teenager crashed on the A91.
Road safety charities, including Brake and the RAC Foundation, have backed the driving restrictions for years. Similar systems already exist in Australia, New Zealand, parts of Canada and several American states.
The Graduated Driving Licence scheme has already been rolled out in some countries | PAExperts explained that late-night driving is particularly dangerous for inexperienced motorists because of fatigue, speeding, poor visibility and distractions from passengers.
Under existing UK rules, drivers already face a two-year probation period after passing their test, with six penalty points resulting in an automatic licence revocation.
Government research found that minimum learning periods have reduced collision rates among young drivers by between five and 33 per cent in some countries.