New rules for young drivers could be introduced to save thousands of lives, says AA

The AA has stated that new driving restrictions for young road users could save thousands of lives by reducing "needless deaths".

It recommended that recently qualified drivers should be prevented from carrying passengers around their own age for at least six months after passing their examinations.

Additionally, the organisation proposed that new motorists should be obligated to maintain a log demonstrating they've driven on all types of roads. These constraints would be part of graduated driving licences, confining certain actions for a given timeframe post-test - a system implemented in countries like the U.S. , Canada, Australia and Sweden.

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The Department for Transport (DfT) revealed back in July 2019 that it contemplated the introduction of such licenses in England. However, the evaluation process was paused in autumn 2020 due in part to potential repercussions on employment opportunities for the young demographic.

AA president Edmund King voiced his concerns stating that "one of the major issues that needs to be addressed is the needless deaths of young drivers, their passengers and others caught up in these crashes.", reports Wales Online. He further added: "Each year nearly 5,000 people are killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver. One in five young drivers crash within a year of passing their test."

Conclusively, alerting to the gravitas of the situation he said: "Most people don't realise, until it is too late, that road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults. We owe it to the next generation to introduce positive measures that will help give them healthy and prosperous lives."

Sharron Huddleston, who tragically lost her 18 year old daughter Caitlin in a car crash in Cumbria in 2017, has established Forget-me-not Families Uniting, a support group for those bereaved by road accidents. She emphasised: "Graduated licences are a crucial issue. How many more young people need to die before action is taken? We can't sit back any longer and just watch as more and more young people are killed or seriously injured in road collisions. My daughter Caitlin would be alive today if action had been taken when the concept of graduated licences was floated years ago."

A spokesperson from the Department for Transport responded, stating: "While the UK has some of the safest roads in the world, any death is a tragedy which is why we continue working tirelessly to improve road safety for everyone. Our Think! campaign is specifically targeted at young male drivers, and we have commissioned research designed to help learner and newly-qualified drivers improve their skills and safety."

The call for the implementation of graduated licences comes as part of the AA's so-called motoring manifesto in the run-up to the local and mayoral elections in May, with a general election date yet to be set. The document, titled Creating Confidence for Drivers, advocates for various improvements including enhanced fuel price transparency, a reduction in VAT on public electric vehicle charging, employing technology for more durable pothole repairs, and establishing explicit goals to diminish road fatalities.

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