Driving age to be raised to 18?

A government-commissioned report has recommended probationary driving licences are in future issued from the age of 18, not 17 – and that learner drivers would be required to invest big in getting a licence.

The new proposals would still see provisional driving licences issues from 17, allowing learners to get out on the road under supervision. However, learners would have to undertake a 12-month ‘learner stage’, in which they’d have to cover a minimum of 100 hours’ supervised driving.

This would include 20 hours of driving at night.

Learner driver sits test 110 times

Fewer young people learning to drive

What’s more, once they passed their test, there would actually be a curfew on the roads of these newly qualified drivers between the hours of 10am and 5pm unless there was a passenger over 30 in the car with them.

Rather confusingly, the report also proposes drivers under 30 are banned from carrying anyone else aged under 30.

The government commissioned the report because of alarming accident statistics for younger drivers. They cover 5% of the miles on British roads, but are involved in 20% of the accidents where someone is killed or seriously injured.

“We are committed to improving safety for young drivers and reducing their insurance costs,” said a government spokesman. “That is why we are publishing a Green Paper later in the year setting out our proposals.

“This will include a discussion about how people learn to drive.”

So, if you’re learning to drive, what does the proposals in the report mean for you? Well, first thing to remember is they’re just that – proposals. Nothing is set in stone yet.

But the suggestions within the report, if made law, would certainly change things for younger drivers…

Q: At what age would provisional driving licences be issues?

A: Provisional licences would still be issued at age 17.

Q: At what age would full driving licences be issued?

A: The proposed regulations would require learners to undertake a full year of supervised tuition, so full probationary driving licences would not be issued until 18 years of age.

Q: How much experience would learner drivers have to clock up before getting a licence?

A: 100 hours of daylight experience and 20 hours’ driving at night would be required.

Q: Could newly qualified drivers under 30 take out their young friends?

A: No, passengers under 30 would not be allowed.

Q: Could newly qualified motorists drive at night?

A: No, they would be prohibited from driving between the hours of 10pm and 5am, unless someone aged over 30 was in the car.

By motoringresearch.com