Motorists have been issued an update on potential changes to driving rules in a bid to make the roads safer. Department for Transport figures show males aged 17 to 24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all drivers aged 25 or over.
Data from 2024 shows across Great Britain there were 8,057 younger car drivers, aged 17-24, hurt in an accident with 73 deaths. There were 1,303 seriously injured while 6,681 were slightly hurt. This compares with 479 deaths among all drivers - including younger ones - along with 7,419 seriously injured and 40,883 slightly hurt.
Government safety chiefs have been concerned about the issue, with the Department for Transport releasing its new Road Safety Strategy earlier this month. This aimsbid to cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain's roads by 65% by 2035, with a 70% reduction target for children under 16.
And this week, one part of the UK took it a step further by announcing it would launch strict new rules for young drivers from October. On Tuesday Northern Ireland's Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins said the country would introduce graduated driving licences, with additional restrictions for new drivers. She described it as the “most significant reform to driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years”.
However the rules will not cover England, Scotland and Wales, despite the safety concerns. The Department for Transport today said it had planned changes for young drivers, however, these would stop short of blanket restrictions.
It said this was because people of all ages needed to be able to drive for work and education. A spokesman said: "We want to keep young people safe on the roads while continuing to support their access to work, education and social opportunities.
"That’s why we’re not introducing blanket restrictions on newly qualified drivers, such as limits on passengers or night‑time driving. Instead, we’re focusing on better preparation before young people pass their test, including consulting on a minimum learning period.”
GDL is a road safety scheme designed to reduce the disproportionate involvement of new and young drivers in serious collisions. The plans will come into force across Northern Ireland in October and will see the introduction of a revised training, testing and post-test framework for new drivers and motorcyclists. The proposals include:
GDL permits ‘L’ drivers to drive on a motorway as long as they are accompanied by a driving instructor. Once the learner passes their test, they will be issued with the new ‘R’ plate, which also allows them to drive on a motorway, where they can drive up to the speed limit.
However, the proposals will only take effect in Northern Ireland, which sets its own legal framework for driving. Elsewhere, the government is consulting on introducing a minimum learning period to give young people more time to build essential skills in varied conditions, such as night driving, adverse weather and heavy traffic.
Announcing the changes for Northern Ireland, Ms Kimmins said it was "the most significant reform to driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years". She added: "These changes are aimed at young drivers who are sadly most likely to be killed or seriously injured on our roads. In 2024, there were 164 casualties (killed or seriously injured) from collisions where a car driver aged 17-23 was responsible.
"This age group of drivers accounts for 24% of fatal or serious collisions despite holding just 8% of licences. The introduction of GDL plans to achieve this through a structured approach to learning to drive, including the completion of a programme of training and logbook.
"This will better prepare drivers for both the driving test and initial post-test driving period by helping learners understand how human factors such as their attitude, personality, behaviour and feelings affect their driving style. Road safety is a priority, and GDL will be a valuable tool to help me ensure everyone who uses our roads does so safely."
