Drivers could be slapped with new six-month restrictions on their licence

Motorists could be given six-month driving restrictions amid growing support for the new Labour Party government to act. MPs from across Cumbria have written to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh calling on her to introduce Graduate Driving Licences which could impose severe restrictions on newly qualified drivers.

The letter to the Transport Secretary was backed by Labour Police and Crime Commissioner David Allen and MPs Markus Campbell-Savours for Penrith and Solway, Josh MacAlister for Whitehaven and Workington, Julie Minns for Carlisle, Michelle Scrogham for Barrow and Furness and Liberal Democrat Tim Farron for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

The AA has worked out that least 58 lives could be saved annually by the introduction of a graduated driving license, and could also see at least 260 serious injuries avoided on UK roads. It read: "This is not a punishment for our young people, it's not about restricting their freedom, it's about saving lives and ensuring that young people have experience driving independently before they take on the responsibility of driving with their peers in the car."

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Jakob Pfaudler, CEO of The AA, said: “Graduated Driver Licensing has been proven in other countries to significantly reduce road deaths and serious injuries. Figures show 290 people were killed in young driver crashes last year with more than 4,669 seriously injured. Not only is this a tragic waste of life, but it contributes to the burden of high insurance premiums for young drivers. These premiums should fall when there is evidence of a reduction of young drivers and passengers killed and seriously injured.

“We are calling on the Transport Secretary to make simple, pragmatic changes to the licensing process so young people are better protected in their first few months of independent driving.” New AA/Yonder driver research suggests the most popular element of the AA’s proposed GDL is passenger restrictions with a third (33%) saying they would implement it over other possible GDL tactics.

Edmund King, director of The AA Charitable Trust, said: “Support for GDL is high among drivers and their top priority would be to introduce passenger restrictions. Parents tell us that this would help them to restrict their teenagers from taking passengers or being passengers with an inexperienced driver.

“The introduction of passenger restrictions, would help mitigate the increased risk young drivers have to manage when they have peer-aged passengers travelling with them. A six month restriction is a small price to pay for saving young lives.

“There is a great swell of support for the introduction of GDL so this Government has a real opportunity to make it happen and save lives. The very recent inquest into the tragic deaths of four young men is a stark reminder that action needs to be taken to protect young lives, and it needs to be taken sooner rather than later.”