According to the AA, young drivers should be banned from carrying passengers of the same age for six months after passing the test and displaying plates with a graduate ‘G’.
Following calls from the grieving mother of an A-level student who died in a road accident with three young friends, the AA backed the provision of graduated driving licenses for under-21s.
Hugo Morris, 18, who passed his test just six months earlier, was driving his friends Harvey Owen, 17, Wilfred Fitchett, 17, and Jevon Hirst, 16, on a camping trip in North Wales last November when the accident occurred.
An inquest last week heard how Hugo approached an “inadequately marked” 90-degree bend too quickly, swerved too far and lost control in heavy rain. Although everyone was unharmed, they drowned when the car was left upside down in a flooded ditch.
Harvey’s mother, Crystal, has been demanding a change in the law.
A coroner has called on the government to impose legal restrictions on young and newly qualified drivers after four teenagers died in a crash in north Wales. Jevon Hirst, 16, Harvey Owen, 17, Wilf Fitchett, 17, and Hugo Morris, 18, died in a crash on November 19 last year.
Crystal Owen, Harvey’s mother, demands a change in the law
According to the AA, young drivers should be banned from carrying passengers of the same age for six months after passing the test and displaying plates with a graduate ‘G’.
As part of its proposals, the AA also wants under-21s to receive six penalty points for not wearing a seatbelt in the first six months after passing the test.
It is estimated that graduated licensing (already used in the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden) would save at least 58 lives and prevent 934 people from being seriously injured in accidents each year.
The AA surveyed 10,556 of its members and found that passenger restrictions are the most popular element of the AA’s proposed GDL, with a third (33 per cent) saying they would implement it over other potential GDL tactics.
The second most popular aspect of the GDL to implement, if you could only choose one, was ‘G’ plates (24 percent), followed by a log book (18 percent) and harsher penalties for not wearing a seat belt. security (8 percent). .
Young drivers were significantly more likely to choose harsher seat belt penalties as the only GDL element they would introduce (20 percent).
In 2023, more than a third (36 percent) of drivers ages 17 to 29 who died in a car accident were not wearing seat belts.
AA chief executive Jakob Pfaudler said: “Obtaining a graduated driving license has been shown in other countries to significantly reduce road deaths and serious injuries.”
“We call on the Secretary of Transportation to make simple, pragmatic changes to the licensing process so that young people are better protected in their first months of independent driving.”
Harvey’s mother told the Daily Mail she was “happy” the AA supported graduated licensing, adding: “If these deaths were occurring in such high numbers from knife crime or murder there would be an outcry, but sadly the road deaths seem to be accepted. .’
In 2019, the Department for Transport (DfT) said it was considering introducing graduated licenses in England.
It was later abandoned, partly due to the potential impact on youth employment.
Following last week’s inquest, North West Wales chief coroner Kate Robertson raised concerns about young drivers carrying passengers.
A DfT spokesperson said: “Although we are not considering graduated driving licences, we absolutely recognize that young people are disproportionately victims of tragic incidents on our roads, and we are considering further measures to address this issue and protect young drivers.”
What does a graduated driver’s license entail?
The AA’s survey of 10,556 members found that passenger restrictions are the most popular element of the AA’s proposed GDL and a third (33 per cent) said they would implement it over other possible GDL tactics.
A GDL allows new drivers to go through stages of learning and restricting experiences, from driving in winter weather to limits on the number of passengers and night driving, where supervision is required.
As new drivers progress through the stages, they gain more privileges until they are issued a full driver’s license after completing all requirements.
In 2013, the RAC outlined a GDL with similar conditions. There is currently a two-year trial period in which new drivers will have their test revoked if they score six points.
Why are GDLs proposed?
GDLs have been supported over the years by many safety organizations including the RAC and AA.
A GDL allows new drivers to gradually gain experience and reduce the risks surrounding inexperienced drivers. The first 1,000 miles a young, inexperienced driver travels are considered crucial.
Primarily GDLs are proposed to reduce accidents and deaths caused by young drivers.
In 2022, accidents totaled 29,742 in the UK, a fifth of which involved a young driver.
Since New Zealand legislation came into force, there has been a 23 per cent reduction in car crash injuries among 15- to 19-year-olds and a 12 per cent reduction among 20- to 24-year-olds.
New Zealand is among the countries where a similar scheme has been introduced. Since the legislation came into effect, there has been a 23 percent reduction in car crash injuries among youth ages 15 to 19, and a 12 percent reduction among youth ages 20 to 24.
Sharron Huddleston, who formed the Forget-me-not Families Uniting group of people like her who have lost loved ones in accidents, said: ‘Graduated licenses are a crucial issue. How many more young people have to die before action is taken?
‘Our message is simple: listen to us, listen to the experts, listen to the AA and learn from other countries, which have seen a huge reduction in deaths of young drivers and passengers after introducing graduated driving licenses for novice young drivers.
“My daughter, Caitlin, would be alive today if action had been taken when the concept of graduated licenses was brought up years ago.”
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