Learner drivers could wait for up to six months after their theory test before they can take a practical, the BBC reports. The government plans to unveil a new measure as part of a strategy to improve safety. This includes a lower drink-driving limit for England and Wales, down to the same limit as in Scotland.
The goal is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on the country’s roads by 65%, and by 70% for those under 16 over the next decade. Nearly a fifth of all deaths or serious injuries in 2024 involved a young driver in a car.
A minimum period for learner drivers between the theory and practical driving test, the government hopes, would allow drivers more time to develop their skills, such as driving in different conditions. The Department for Transport will consult on three or six months as the minimum required learning period.
This includes any “informal” learning such as with parents, along with “formal” lessons with an instructor.
According to the BBC, evidence from other nations have found that minimum learning periods can see collisions fall by as much as 32%. Learner drivers at the moment can take lessons from the age of 17 and book their practical test as soon as they pass their theory. Most driving tests are taken by under-25s, accounting for 55% of all driving tests booked in 2024-25.
This change would mean the youngest a driver can be with a full license would be 17 years and six months.
There have also been calls from campaigners for graduated driving licenses (GDLs), which have been introduced in some countries. GDLs would include restrictions such as not allowing newly qualified drivers to carry passengers or restrictions on driving at night.
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