ABI bid to reduce young driver deaths

The ABI has released proposals aimed at reducing the number of young drivers killed or injured on UK roads.

The four proposals, which have been supported by the RAC Foundation, the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, and road safety groups Brake, RoadSafe and the Make Roads Safe Campaign, are:

• A minimum learning period before young drivers take their driving test. For example, a one-year minimum learning period would cut road casualties by 1,000 each year.
• A structured learning programme, with learners or their instructor recording in a logbook time spent driving and experience before taking their test.
• Measures to reduce the number of passengers carried by young drivers. This could include limiting the number of passengers during the first few months of driving. Experience in California and elsewhere suggests this would cut casualties dramatically.
• Less driving at night. Over half of accidents involving young drivers occur at night. Some insurers already offer lower premiums to young drivers who only drive during the day.

Stephen Haddrill, director general of the ABI, said:
“Every day, four people are killed or seriously injured in crashes involving young drivers. The trend is getting worse not better. We urge the Government to adopt these proposals to improve safety on our roads and reduce this tragic loss of life.”