Almost all (89%) road accidents involve at least one car driver. Although it is not always the driver who is at fault, they are, nevertheless, the largest single common denominator in road accidents. Car drivers are not an homogeneous group. Particular kinds of car drivers are involved in road accidents more often than others. One of the highest risk groups is novice drivers, most of whom are also young drivers. Although 17-21 year old drivers account for about 7% of the driving population, they comprise 13% of drivers involved in accidents. An 18 year-old driver is more than three times as likely to be involved in an accident as a 48 year-old. One in five new drivers are involved in an accident in their first year of driving. Across Europe, novice drivers are over-represented in road accidents. In the USA, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among teenagers, accounting for 36% of all deaths of 15 to 19 year olds. The fatal crash rate per million miles for 16-year-old drivers is more than seven times the rate for drivers aged 30 to 59 years. The driver training, testing and licensing regime is the main tool used to provide drivers with the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills to drive safely. The need to improve driving standards is recognised in the Government’s road safety strategy, which states that measures will be introduced to: • instil in young people the right attitudes towards road safety and safe driving; • guide learner drivers to take a more structured approach to learning, to prepare them for their driving career, not just to pass a test • raise the standard of tuition offered by driving instructors • improve the driving test in the light of better understanding about what needs to be examined and effective ways to do it • focus on the immediate post-test period for novice drivers • enhance the status of advanced motoring qualifications. The purpose of this paper is to: (a) outline the number and causes of accidents involving novice drivers; (b) outline the current driver training, testing and licensing regime, indicating where improvements could be introduced; and (c) develop RoSPA’s policy positions in regard to driver training, testing and licensing. (Author/publisher)
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