Almost two in five dangerous driving licences are issued to drivers aged 17-25: is it time for graduated licensing?

Alarming figures show that young drivers are responsible for almost two in every five dangerous driving fines issued to motorists.

DVLA records show that Between January and the end of May, around 1,128 new dangerous driving permits, known as DD40s, were issued to young people aged between 17 and 25.

This represents 38 per cent of all dangerous driving offences committed in the first five months of the year, despite this age group accounting for just 7 per cent of all full licence holders.

IAM Roadsmart, the road safety group that carried out the analysis of the government data, said the alarming figures were further evidence of the need for a graduated driving licence (GDL) system in Britain to impose restrictions that would “encourage better decision-making” among young, impressionable drivers.

The advanced motoring group said younger drivers are becoming an increasing risk on our roads.

DVLA data shows that 27 per cent of all DD40 licences in 2021 were issued to 17-25 year olds.

In 2023, that percentage rose to 36 percent and increased again by two percentage points in the first half of 2024.

DD40 dangerous driving endorsements are issued for a variety of offences involving someone driving significantly below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver, or where it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that using a vehicle in its current condition would be dangerous.

Typically, this includes behaviors such as speeding, racing or aggressive driving, ignoring traffic lights, dangerous passing, or knowing that a vehicle has a dangerous fault or is unsafely loaded.

The fact that younger drivers on our roads account for almost two-fifths of such offences is the latest in a series of warning signs surrounding new drivers.

Road accident statistics in Britain show that around a fifth of people are involved in an accident within a year of passing their driving test, and nearly 5,000 people were killed or seriously injured in an accident involving a young driver in Britain in 2022.

Of these, 1,500 victims are young drivers themselves.

What is especially worrying is that for every additional passenger of the same age, young drivers are four times more likely to be involved in an accident.

This chart shows how younger licence holders account for an increasing percentage of dangerous driving offences since 2021

Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at IAM RoadSmart, said: ‘Something is wrong with driving standards among younger drivers, who now account for more than a third of all new licences for dangerous driving, while at the same time representing a small proportion of total licence holders.

‘A gradual form of driver licensing should now be considered as part of an updated road safety strategy.

We firmly believe that training, improved skills and increased experience will foster greater responsibility and decision-making that will make our roads safer.

Mr Lyes added that drivers affected by the GDL should benefit from reduced insurance premiums.

Both the RAC and the AA have also supported the introduction of GDLs.

As part of the AA’s Motoring Manifesto in April, it was found that almost three-quarters of drivers (72 per cent) think graduated licensing that limits the number of passengers is a good idea.

Responding to the IAM Roadsmart report, a DfT spokesperson said: ‘The safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government.

‘We are committed to implementing a new Road Safety Strategy, the first in more than a decade.

“We will set out the next steps in this regard in due course.”

Batley and Spen MP Kim Leadbeater has been campaigning on road safety since shortly after being elected in July 2021.

Earlier this year, a bill on graduated driving licenses was passed. It was presented in Parliament by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.

In addition to the fact that the GDL is supported by numerous security organisations, the bill enjoys multi-party support in the House of Commons.

This is the latest in a series of attempts in recent years to introduce GDLs into law (most notably in 2020 by Theresa May’s government), but so far none have come to fruition despite numerous parliamentary debates.

While the current bill is largely based on the same restrictive phased learning programme as previous GDL attempts, this time it has been introduced in Parliament under the “Ten Minute Rule”.

This rule allows a rank-and-file MP to defend a new bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes.

The bill subsequently passed the first reading. The date of the second reading is yet to be announced.

Leadbeater has been campaigning for road safety since shortly after being elected in July 2021.

She began working at GDL after meeting Dr Ian Greenwood, who lost his 12-year-old daughter Alice when the car her mother was driving was hit by an 18-year-old driver.

Both the 18-year-old and his 16-year-old passenger also died.

A GDL licence would require new drivers to undergo a period of supervision for the first few months after passing the test. Only when they are deemed fit to drive alone would they be granted a full licence.

How would a graduated driver’s license system work?

A GDL would require all new drivers to go through learning and restriction stages, from driving in winter weather to limits on the number of passengers and nighttime driving, where supervision is required.

As a new driver progresses through each stage of supervision, he or she gains more privileges until he or she is granted a full, unrestricted driver’s license.

This would allow new drivers to gain experience on the road gradually, and several studies have shown that the first 1,600 miles driven by young drivers are the most crucial in terms of safety.

New Zealand is one of the countries where a similar scheme has been introduced.

Since the legislation was passed, there has been a 23 percent reduction in motor vehicle crash injuries among 15- to 19-year-olds, and a 12 percent reduction among 20- to 24-year-olds in the country.

Similar schemes are used in other countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and Sweden.