The AA backs major licence change to 'impose restrictions' on drivers

A major driving organisation has backed plans to make huge changes to the way driving licences for new motorists work. As part of its call for the UK to introduce graduated driver licensing, The AA Charitable Trust has pledged support for new national campaign outlining priorities for the next government.

A graduated driving licence scheme, which is already used in some other countries, would see new drivers face various restrictions after passing their tests. This would include limits on the number of passengers they can carry, for example.

The AA Charitable Trust has signed up to the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) campaign calling for immediate and strategic action to address the persistent issue of road fatalities and serious injuries in the UK. PACTS' focus on a graduated licensing system is in line with the AA’s own Motoring Manifesto call to reduce road deaths by imposing restrictions on new drivers, such as restricting passengers for six months after passing their test. The organisation said the latest national statistics showed young drivers were involved in a fifth of all crashes in which someone was killed or seriously injured.

Edmund King, Director of The AA Charitable Trust, said: “We are delighted to support PACTS’ manifesto. It provides clear, pragmatic focus to tackle some of the biggest risks on our roads.

“We urgently need to address the issue of young driver deaths. Imposing restrictions on things like carrying passengers in the immediate months after passing their driving test will help, not only by removing the distraction of passengers from the driver, but also in removing the risk of being the passenger in the car with a peer-aged driver.

“We know young drivers face a disproportionate risk compared to older drivers. We are doing them a disservice by not ensuring the legislative framework supports their safety when they are at their most vulnerable as a driver.”