Are graduated driving licences coming in?

Are graduated driving licences coming in?

Good news for new drivers. The proposed graduated driving licence scheme has been cancelled by the Department for Transport.

The graduated driving licence scheme would have seen restrictions being placed on young drivers, for example curfew and limits on passengers in the car. However, the scheme was scrapped because many young people needed to drive for employment.

In June 2019 learner drivers were granted permission to have lessons on Britain’s motorways. Another positive move for young drivers.

What is a graduated driving licence?

A graduated driving licence would put a set of restrictions on new drivers who have recently passed their test, for an initial period of time.

Government statistics repeatedly suggest as many as a quarter of newly-qualified motorists are involved in an accident during their first two years on the road – with 400 young UK drivers sustaining serious or fatal injuries each year.

Although no countrywide scheme is currently in place, the government was exploring its possibilities, with the ultimate aim of reducing this worrying number of early-stage accidents. However the scheme has now been scrapped.

What could be restricted under a UK graduated driving licence?

Possible restrictions would centre on:

• driving curfews – restricting new drivers from roads during certain times
• passenger numbers – legal limits on how full a new driver’s car can be
• lower alcohol limits – reduction in the legal threshold for blood readings
• speed limits – new drivers restricted to slower speeds
• engine sizes – power output limits put on the new drivers’ vehicles
• mandatory ‘P’ plates – required for up to two years after passing a test

It is thought a period of restriction – approximately six months – could also be put on learner drivers, during which they would not be able to apply to take a driving test.

Any ban on passengers would be unlikely to include immediate family members, it is understood.

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What stage is the graduated driving licence at?

In February 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May tasked the Department for Transport (DfT) with investigating the possibility of a graduated licencing scheme.

She was responding to questions posed from the opposition bench during Prime Minister’s Questions as to whether an initiative would be considered to help curb the number of accidents.

In April 2018 it was revealed that a ‘pilot’ graduated scheme will be launched in Northern Ireland during 2019/20.

In October 2020 it was announced that the graduated licence scheme had been scrapped by The Department for Transport. Instead the government proposed restructuring driving lessons to enable stronger tuition.