Government to consider graduated driver licensing in England - RAC comment

Reacting to the news that the Government is to look at steps to making new drivers safer on England's roads, which may include restrictions on new drivers' use of a vehicle at certain times, RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said:

“Young drivers sadly are over-represented in road traffic collisions so we welcome plans to improve their safety. Graduated driver licensing has the benefit of providing a more controlled environment when learning how to drive, however this must be balanced so it does not disadvantage young drivers who need to use vehicles for night work.

“We certainly would welcome a minimum learning period, or indeed a minimum number of learning hours required, while there may also be merits in restricting new drivers from carrying some passengers at certain times of the day and possibly even having a stricter drink-drive limit for new drivers. But we would also encourage the Government to look closely at providing incentives for the uptake of telematics based policies for new drivers, and consider how any new rules governing new drivers can be effectively enforced.”