Keeping teenage drivers on the road to safety

In the last year 285 people were killed or seriously injured on Lothians roads, and more than a quarter of those were newly qualified youngsters. Hazel Mollison talks to the people charged with the task of making our highways a safer place.

FOR many teenagers, it's an important step on the road to independence. Learning to drive gives them the freedom to expand their horizons, and travel to work or play.

But parents' joy on seeing their offspring pass their test is tempered by the sobering statistics on accident rates for young drivers.

Last year 285 people were killed or seriously injured on Lothian's roads, and of these, more than a quarter were newly qualified drivers. The risks are reflected in the high insurance costs, especially for young men.

This has led to fears among police, driving instructors and motoring groups that the test is failing to prepare young drivers for getting behind the wheel. Racing driver David Coulthard may seem an unlikely advocate for safer driving, but he is the latest to call for reforms.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly is now holding a consultation on plans which could fundamentally change the way drivers learn. Her department is gathering people's opinions until the end of September. But some critics, including Lothian and Borders Police, say the proposals do not go far enough.

The reforms aim to make the practical test "more realistic" and test candidates' judgement in different situations. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) would also introduce a syllabus for instructors to follow, and a workbook to log learners' experience in different road conditions.

Under the proposals, teenagers could begin studying for a qualification in "safe road use" from the age of 14. The theory test would be split into two parts, and updated to include case studies and more video simulations. The DSA also hopes to improve the uptake of the optional Pass Plus training scheme, which currently only 11 per cent take after passing their test.

Robin Cummins, a road safety consultant for the British School of Motoring with ten years of experience as chief driving examiner, has been working with the DSA on the changes. He said: "Some changes are quite simple to make. We would like to see more independent driving, asking candidates to follow road signs as part of the test rather than just the driving instructor.

"We already use a log book to track progress, but we want to see a national syllabus that everyone needs to follow."

But he said they were unsure about the plans to introduce "star ratings" for driving instructors.

"The jury's still out on that one. We need to be convinced it was fair and open."

Bruce Young, of the Association of British Drivers, agreed there was evidence for the need to change the driving test.

"I think there is clearly a major failing in training. So many new drivers immediately think that they are Stirling Moss and kill themselves," he said.

"The Government's approach to training is to make it more difficult to pass and more expensive. They seem to be putting more obstacles in the way of learning to drive properly, without tackling the real problem.

"The most important thing is teaching young people better concentration and hazard awareness. The statistics show around a third of accidents are caused by inadequate attention."

Lothian and Borders Police are also concerned that the changes do not go far enough. Inspector David Milne of the force's road policing unit, said more could be done to cut accident rates.

He said: "The bit that really appeals is a wider range of training and preparation both before and after their qualification.

"Learning to drive shouldn't just be about the test, it's a lifelong development. If Pass Plus was compulsory it would be of a lot more benefit, but I don't know if it's an option.

"We would also like to see curfews for younger drivers – they wouldn't be allowed to drive with other young people after a certain time at night.

"Young people have also got to take time to learn how a vehicle handles, rather than just picking up a car and going for a long journey.

"What we have now is 17, 18 and 19-year-olds who get heavy insurance premiums, and are much more likely to have accidents. I think peer pressure and confidence are huge issues."

But he said the force supported anything that would help make the roads safer. The latest figures from the Lothians show drivers aged between 17 and 25 made up 27 per cent of those killed or seriously injured in accidents last year.

There was also a place for other bodies, such as local councils to get involved. A pilot project in Aberdeen, where the city council subsidised the Pass Plus programme, dramatically improved the uptake of further training.

He said: "The bottom line is young drivers are such a serious issue within Lothian and Borders. Any added instruction that can be provided must be of benefit."