Mid Bucks MP says tougher driving tests could improve young driver safety
Greg Smith MP believes driving tests could be more robust - rather than introducing graduated licences
The MP for Mid Buckinghamshire says driving tests could be made more robust rather than introducing graduated driving licences for young drivers.
New restrictions for drivers under 24 are due to take effect in Northern Ireland next week, from October 1.
The changes will include restrictions on carrying passengers at night for newly qualified young drivers.
New figures this week also show more than 23,000 people were killed or seriously injured in crashes involving a driver aged between 17 and 24 over the past five years.
Mr Smith, who serves as a Shadow Minister for Transport, said he was “very sceptical” of graduated driving licences.
He said the system could imply that people who pass their driving test are not actually considered safe to drive without further restrictions.
“I would much rather have got to a position where we were absolutely confident that we had a system where people learned, they took a robust test and that in its widest possible terms, the state was confident that if you pass a driving test, you are safe and you are competent to drive,” he said.
Mr Smith said the current test does not cover some situations young drivers may encounter once they have passed, including driving on motorways and at night.
He also highlighted the different challenges faced by drivers on rural roads.
Those scenarios, he argues, should form part of the learning and testing process, rather than restricting newly qualified drivers from experiencing them.
He questioned whether preventing young drivers from certain situations would actually help them develop the skills they need.
“How are they going to learn to drive on the motorway or with the distraction of a passenger or a child on the back seat?” he said.
Mr Smith warned a graduated licence could also create difficulties for young parents who rely on their cars to take their children to nursery or medical appointments.
“What would it say to that 17-year-old who perhaps has become a mum or dad at a younger age who has passed their test in order to get their child to nursery or just around the various health appointments you need when you have a newborn?” he said.