The AA is calling on all political parties to commit to the introduction of graduated driver licences to address the needless deaths of young drivers and their passengers.
One in five young drivers crash within a year of passing their test and each year nearly 5,000 people are killed or seriously injured in crashes involving at least one young driver.
A graduated driver licence scheme would help address this by limiting same-age passengers for newly qualified drivers for six months.
Proposals were announced in Parliament this month for a progressive licensing system and the AA is calling for this to be progressed by the next government in a move to significantly reduce fatalities among younger people.
Edmund King, AA president, said: “The AA believes we need a system of graduated learning with a logbook whereby all learners need to demonstrate their skills on all types of roads and crucially on rural roads where 71% of new driver fatal crashes occur, and in different weather conditions and different times of day or night.
“Once they have passed their test the driver shouldn’t be allowed to carry same age passengers for at least six months as research shows that with every same-age passenger, they are four times more likely to crash. 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 ages 5-29 years according to the World Health Organisation. We owe it to the next generation to introduce positive measures that will help give them healthy and prosperous lives.”
Graduated licences are already used in several countries, including Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many US states, where they have led to a reduction of between 20% and 40% in deaths and serious injuries in crashes involving young drivers. AA research shows 72% of its members think a graduated licence scheme for the UK is a good idea.
The Forget-me-not Families Uniting campaign group is also calling on the next government to save young lives.
The group of bereaved parents, whose sons and daughters were all killed by cars driven by young drivers, says that UK governments have repeatedly been presented with the evidence on how to reduce the huge risks facing young, newly qualified drivers and their passengers, but no action has been taken.
Sharron Huddleston, co-founder of the group, said: “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.
“Our message to all political parties is simple – listen to us, listen to the experts, listen to the AA and learn from other countries, who have seen a huge reduction in young driver and passenger deaths after introducing graduated driving licensing for young novice drivers. My daughter, Caitlin, would be alive today if action had been taken when the concept of graduated licences was floated years ago.”
