RoSPA Press Office : Press Release

March 1, 2002
NEW LICENSING SCHEME COULD HELP CUT ROAD DEATHS

A graduated driver-licensing scheme could be the answer to tackling Britain’s biggest road accident problem – young drivers, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents national road safety congress will be told next week.

Experts will hear how, under a successful project in Australia, drivers under 25-years-old have to have 42 months driving experience and pass four tests before being given a full licence. No one under 20 can gain a full licence.

Kevin Clinton, RoSPA Head of Road Safety, said: “Graduated Driver Licensing works in Australia and in other countries. It is time we looked at it seriously in the UK. Qualifying for a full licence in stages means novice drivers would gradually build up experience during the period they are most at risk, while at the same time reducing their exposure to the things that are most dangerous to them – speed, alcohol, night driving, carrying teenage passengers. At the moment, many pass their test, forget the safety lessons they have learned and never take any further training.”

In the New South Wales Graduated Licensing Scheme, all learner drivers must have at least 50 hours on-road supervised driving experience, have passed a computer-based driver knowledge test and an on-road driver ability test before they can graduate to a first stage provisional licence. They must take a hazard perception test to graduate to the next stage and then a driver qualification test before being given an unrestricted licence.

RoSPA has already suggested a compulsory logbook scheme for novice drivers to prove they have tackled a variety of driving scenarios – a voluntary scheme is being trialled by the Driver Standards Agency. The Society has also advocated that drivers should be reassessed two years after passing their test.

The conference – Safer Driving : The Road To Success – is being staged at the Stratford Moat House, Stratford-upon-Avon, in association with Britax, from Monday to Wednesday next week (March 4-6).

As well as investigating ways to make the next generation of drivers safer, it will seek to improve the driving of those already on the road. In addition to driver training and testing, subjects to be discussed include speed management and managing the dangers posed on the road by another high-risk group – company car and van drivers.

David Jamieson, Road Safety Minister, will make the opening address.