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Make graduated licences law – but for all new drivers

All inexperienced drivers a risk, not just the young.
2411 uk motorway

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11 November 2024

Plans to introduce graduated driving licences (GDLs) in the UK should cover all new drivers and not just younger ones, according to fleet software specialist FleetCheck.

The GDL issue has been placed back in the spotlight by the comments of the senior coroner for north-west Wales, Kate Robertson, following an inquest into the deaths of four teenagers in Snowdonia in November 2023.

GDLs, which are used in several countries but not the UK, place restrictions on the motorist in the first months of driving after the had passed their test. These restrictions can include the number and age of passengers carried, and not being permitted to drive at night for an initial period.

In August 2019 the UK Department for Transport launched a programme to consider the introduction of GDLs for young drivers, but the plans were dropped a year later, mainly amid fears of the effect of employment amongst the young.

In the Snowdonia accident the car rolled and landed upside down in a flooded ditch in Snowdonia, ending up so far off the road that it was not found for two days.

The coroner expressed concerns about young, new drivers carrying passengers of a similar age, and her call was subsequently taken up by motoring organisation The AA – it estimated that at least 58 lives could be saved and 934 serious injuries prevented among young people in road crashes each year if a GDL was introduced. This would lead in turn to a lowering of insurance premiums for drivers which are very high.

Fleetcheck argues, however, that any inexperienced driver represents a risk, and that GDLs could help fleets to formalise how they are managed as part of risk strategies. The company’s managing director Peter Golding said that the AA’s thinking on GDLs, centred on under-21s, were understandable because road safety statistics show that this is very much an at-risk group.

“However, our argument is that is all new drivers are inexperienced and represent a risk – if someone doesn’t pass their test until 30, they might not have the same statistical likelihood of being involved in an accident as a 17-year-old but it would still be arguably irresponsible for them to be immediately allowed to drive a 3.5 tonne van or a powerful car,” Golding said.

“This kind of scenario is especially important in a fleet context, where an employee might be given access to a wider range of vehicles than is likely to happen to a private motorist. Of course, some fleets already have rules in place designed to protect new and inexperienced drivers but certainly not all, and there is a strong argument for supporting GDLs.”

Not all of the ideas being mooted for GDLs should be applied across the board, Golding added. “One of the AA’s ideas is that under-21s should not be allowed to carry passengers of a similar age. There’s a general acceptance that some people of that age will drive in an irresponsible manner to try and impress their friends, with attendant risks.

“Really, the same arguments are unlikely to apply to older people. In fact, carrying someone of a similar age who is an experienced driver in this scenario is probably a benefit.”

Golding wants to see a full consultancy carried out by the government and GDLS then implemented into law as soon as possible. “A private members bill on GDLs was introduced before the general election by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and received a good reaction. Now, it would be good to hear from transport secretary Louise Haigh on the government’s plans to move the issue forward.

“The sooner that measures of these type make their way into law and start saving lives, the better, and the sooner that fleets can produce new risk management strategy documents that incorporate the thinking behind GDLs.”

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Andrew Charman

Andrew Charman has been a motoring journalist for more than 30 years, writing about vehicles, technology and the industry. He is a Guild of Motoring Writers committee member and has won several awards including for his business coverage.

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