The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner is calling on the government to implement greater safeguards for newly qualified motorists in a bid to save lives.
Simon Foster is backing a national campaign for Progressive Driving Licences, which would introduce temporary measures tailored to new drivers in the months before and after passing their practical driving test.
Mr Foster believes curfews on late-night driving during high risk times, lower drink drive limits, allowing fewer similar-aged passengers to travel with a newly qualified driver, minimum learning periods and mandatory use of in car technology to provide incentives for good and legal driving would all help cut road deaths of young drivers, their passengers, and other road users.
The Commissioner is asking the government to include his proposals in its forthcoming Road Safety Strategy.
In a letter sent to Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander the PCC warns that young and newly qualified drivers remain vastly overrepresented in road casualties, with new drivers aged 17–24 year old accounting for nearly a quarter of car drivers killed or seriously injured, despite being only 7% of licence holders. In addition, there is a young driver involved in road collisions which lead to 20% of all casualties on the road.
Progressive Driving Licences already exist in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. International evidence shows dramatic reductions in fatal and serious collisions, including an 83% fall in deaths among 16–19-year-old drivers in Canada.
PCC Simon Foster said: “Road safety and reducing the number of people tragically and avoidably killed or seriously injured on our roads has been a top priority for me since I was first elected in May 2021.
“Progressive Driving Licences are a proven, proportionate and urgently needed solution. Every day we delay, young lives are being put at risk. Continued inaction to prevent these collisions and casualties is unacceptable. The Government must seize this opportunity, and include them in its Road Safety Strategy”
The PCC emphasised that concerns about restricting young people’s access to education, employment, training or caring responsibilities can be fully mitigated through exemptions.
He is urging West Midlands MPs to:
1. Call on the Department for Transport to include Progressive Driving Licences in the upcoming Road Safety Strategy;
2. Champion the evidence-based case for Progressive Driving Licences alongside charities, emergency services, academics and bereaved families;
3. Raise the issue in Parliament to secure the policy and funding commitments needed to introduce Progressive Driving Licences nationwide.
Mr Foster added that failing to act would be “a gross dereliction of the first duty of government – to keep its people safe.”
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