Young drivers face spending a minimum of one year learning behind the wheel before they can pass their test under radical new plans laid out by insurers - but would benefit from cheaper cover.
As well as a one-year learning period, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) wants drivers to have limits on the number of passengers and restrictions on night time driving for an initial period after passing the test – while the learning age limit may be lowered to 16 to give motorists 'sufficient experience' before hitting the road.
The body, which represents insurers, also wants a zero blood alcohol driving limit for an initial period after a young person passes their driving test.
Radical changes: Young drivers could see some major shake-ups afoot as the Government mulls over ideasThe plans come after the Government announced yesterday that it is to publish a Green Paper on young driver safety in the coming weeks, which will consider a range of changes.
The ABI says that the average annual premium for those aged between 17-18 is currently an eye-watering £1,853.
But with these changes, prices would fall by up to 20 per cent – or £370 a year from the average premium making it more affordable for youngsters to get on the road, it claims.
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The Department for Transport said: ‘We are looking at young drivers starting earlier – perhaps at 16 or 16-and-a-half. But there would also be a minimum learning period before they would take the test.
‘We are also looking at the option of requiring drivers to take a minimum number of lessons.’
According to data, drivers aged 17-24 make up only 12 per cent of licence holders, but are involved in a quarter of all road deaths and serious injuries.
HOW YOUNG DRIVERS CAN GET CHEAPER INSURANCECar insurance costs have rocketed by around 25 per cent during the past two years, with most drivers now forking out a hefty £648 a year for cover.
But for the under 25s, that is a drop in the ocean – on average youngsters now pay about £2,800 for car insurance.
Despite that high cost, many younger drivers still want the freedom of being behind the wheel.
We explain here how they can try to beat the high insurance cost trap.
Otto Thoresen, director general at the ABI, said: ‘The ABI welcomes today's announcement from the Government that they will publish a Green Paper on young driver safety.
‘Sadly young newly qualified drivers are at a much higher risk of having a serious crash on our roads which is reflected in the cost of their car insurance. Insurers want to see young drivers become safe drivers which in turn will result in more affordable premiums.’
Statistics from insurance group Direct Line suggests young drivers are five times more likely to make a claim than other drivers, increasing to 10 times as the severity of the claim increases.
It also says young driver accident statistics could be reversed through the implementation of a ‘Graduated Drivers Licence’, where drivers gain a full licence in stages, which is used in other countries.
Tom Woolgrove, managing director at Direct Line Group, said: ‘We believe a combination of education, regulation and technology is needed. Whilst we believe telematics can play a major role in rewarding those safer young drivers with lower premiums, we also believe the implementation of a Graduated Drivers Licence would make a real difference.
‘It would have positive effect on the driving behaviour and habits of young people, particularly in the critical period just after passing their test, and more importantly, reduce catastrophic accidents and save lives.’
Direct Line said the Graduated Drivers Licence would cut down accidents and lower premiums. An analysis of a similar learner driver system in New Zealand by the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory showed that following its introduction, there was a reduction in car crash injuries of 23 per cent for 15-19 year olds and 12 per cent for 20-24 year olds.
And in Washington, U.S., annual deaths and serious injuries among 16 and 17 year old novice drivers reduced by 59 per cent after the introduction of a driving curfew between 1am and 5am for the first year after passing, a ban on carrying teenage passengers for the first six months and a licence suspension for under-18s of up to six months for committing two or more violations.
But Edmund King, president of motoring organisation the AA, stressed that there were also dangers in making direct comparisons between countries which already have graduated licences for young drivers because other cultural and road safety factors come into play.
He noted, for example, that Britain has already seen a near 40 per cent drop in the number of killed or seriously injured young drivers aged 17 to 25 between 2007 and 2011, which is better than some countries which already have graduated licences.