Newly Qualified Drivers (Hansard, 26 January 1993)

§ Mr. Simon Burns (Chelmsford)
I beg to move,
That leave be given to bring in a Bill to make it compulsory for newly qualified drivers to display plates indicating that they are recently qualified; to limit the engine size of the vehicles that they may drive; and for connected purposes. As clarification, may I explain that newly qualified drivers are not exclusively drivers under the age of 25. Although the vast majority of newly qualified drivers are under that age, other newly qualified drivers are aged from 25 upwards, in some cases even to over 60.
As I said when I moved a similar Bill almost three years ago to the day, in the past 25 years there has been a revolution in motoring. Improved living standards have ensured that there is far wider car ownership. Instead of a norm of one car per family, it is now often the case, and indeed likely, that members of the same family own two or even three cars.
Furthermore, advances in technology, design and engine power ensure that cars are more sophisticated and powerful than 25 years ago. More than 29 million people have licences to drive a motor car. In 1988, 1,039,000 people passed their driving test. Of those, 73 per cent. were aged between 17 and 25; 21 per cent. were aged between 26 and 40; 5 per cent. were aged between 41 and 60; and, perhaps surprisingly, 0.3 per cent. were aged over 60.
It is abundantly clear from those statistics that the vast majority of newly qualified drivers are young people aged between 17 and 25. The accident, injury and death rates among that age group are unacceptably high. I fully recognise that in the past few years the Department of Transport and successive Ministers have made strenuous efforts to reduce road accidents and injuries. Their efforts are highly commendable and successful, with death rates declining noticeably.
However, there is still a serious problem that needs to be tackled and I suspect that hon. Members from all parties recognise that. The casualty rates for 1991 highlight the case. In that year, drivers killed at ages between 16 and 19 represented 4.6 per 100,000 of the population. Drivers killed at ages between 20 and 29 represented 4.5 per 100,000. of the population—almost as unacceptably high. For age groups above that, the average falls dramatically to 2.2 per 100,000.
A recent study carried out by the Transport Research Laboratory for the Department of Transport on attitudes, opinions and development of skills in the first two years of novice drivers reinforced those statistics. It showed that 28 per cent. of respondents to the study's questionnaire had been involved in at least one accident as a driver since passing the test. Of those, 25 per cent. had been driving for only 12 months; 27 per cent. for only 18 months; and 35 per cent. for up to 24 months. It also showed that some 33 per cent. of those who had been in an accident had been in one that resulted in an injury. From their own statistics and estimations, 34 per cent. felt that it was likely that they would be at least partly to blame if they had an accident in their first 12 months of driving.
The report goes on to highlight the fact that those who had been driving for two years had higher scores on confidence in decision making than those who had been driving for a shorter period. This group also reported more frequently failing to notice someone waiting at a crossing, failing to use the mirrors when they should, making 885 misjudgments in driving, trying to beat others at getting away and doing things that they knew were dangerous. Interestingly, the report shows the proportion of new drivers who had been involved in an accident was greater between 18 and 24 months after passing the test than between 12 and 18 months. The report and the statistics clearly show that there is a serious problem regarding newly qualified drivers and road safety.
The Bill seeks to improve safety not only for newly qualified drivers, but for other drivers and innocent pedestrians. Part of the problem emanates from the fact that as soon as they pass the driving test inexperienced drivers are given the same privileges and rights as someone who passed the test more than 20 years ago and has gained experience and maturity for driving over that time. That is a mistake. My Bill would require all newly qualified drivers to display a P plate for up to 24 months after passing the test, indicating that they were probationers. The plate would be a constant reminder to such drivers that they are newly qualified and it would also advise other drivers of that fact.
It was interesting to see in the Transport Research Laboratory report that more than half the respondents felt that requiring newly qualified drivers to display a special plate to let others know that they were inexperienced would prevent many or a great many accidents. Some may say that such a proposal is unenforceable, but I do not share that view. I suspect that when L plates for learner drivers were introduced, people said that they were unenforceable, but experience since their introduction shows that the system seems to work well.
Secondly, I should like to see newly qualified drivers being restricted to driving cars of 1300 cc or less for 24 months after passing their tests. In theory at present, on his or her 17th birthday a person can pass the driving test, leave the test centre, and drive away in a Porsche, a series 7 BMW or any other high-performance car. If such a youth, who would clearly be inexperienced, got into difficulties he would not be able to handle the car properly. That is wrong and it is dangerous to allow it.
I am a realist and I appreciate that the Bill will not reach the statute book in this Session. However, the problems of newly qualified drivers and their safety are pressing matters which, I am sure, concern a great many people throughout the country. If the Bill draws further attention —especially the attention of the Department of Transport and its Ministers—to the problem, raises the level of discussion, improves the understanding of the problems and leads to a reduction in the number of tragic accidents and injuries on our roads, it will be worth while. I commend the measure to the House.

§ Mr. Peter Bottomley (Eltham)
The whole House will join my hon. Friend in his concern to reduce the casualties among young drivers just as much as among other groups. He is right to draw attention to the increased risk associated with the early years of driving. I caution the House, and I shall ask the House to reject the motion on 886 the ground that there could be evidence about whether his proposal would work. He proposes that those who are recently qualified should have a plate that substitutes for the L for learner plate, when the driver has to be accompanied by a supervisor, a P plate for probationer or R for restricted. Many countries have these requirements. Within the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland has a similar requirement, but there is no evidence that I know of that it has much impact.
I join my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford in paying tribute to the Minister for Roads and Traffic who has done a great deal to push forward the continuing aim of reducing accidents set out in the "Health of the Nation" White Paper. In the age group to which my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford referred, road crashes are the primary cause of death for people recently qualified. I think that we need to ask for the evidence on whether his proposal would make a significant difference. I fear that we are facing what appears to be the common sense solution, similar to the one that we used to have with the calls for random breath testing for drink driving. Because something appears to have worked somewhere, it was obviously going to have great advantages here. In fact, in drink driving, which was the real problem, we have seen a continued reduction, especially among the groups to which my hon. Friend has referred.
I ask the House to reject the motion and to say that we look forward to hearing at some appropriate stage from the Minister whether research can be commissioned and to say to young drivers that they ought to follow the points that my hon. Friend is making and that it is unwise to drive in a way that involves extra risk, especially when there are others in the car. They should save their lives and those of others by following common sense driving solutions which I am sure most hon. Members follow, even though most of us are above the age of 19.

§ Madam Speaker
The Question is, That the hon. Member has leave to bring in his Bill. Those in favour say Aye, to the contrary No. The Ayes have it — [interruption.]—Order. When an hon. Gentleman or, for that matter, an hon. Member has opposed a ten-minute Bill, his voice simply has to follow his rejection and that has happened in this case. Now we can proceed.
Question put, pursuant to Standing Order No. 19 (Motions for leave to bring in Bills and nomination of Select Committees at commencement of public business), and agreed to. Bill ordered to be brought in by Mr. Simon Burns, Mr. Keith Mans, Mr. Alan Duncan, Mr. David Porter, Mr. Michael Brown, Mr. Anthony Coombs, Mr. James Cran, Mr. John Whittingdale, and Mr. Bob Dunn.